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Pork Board releases Pork 2040: China Market Assessment

A new report from the National Pork Board digs into the growing protein needs in China and how the U.S. pork industry can position itself to meet that demand.

The study, called Pork 2040: China Market Assessment, was funded in part by the Pork Checkoff and conducted by global research firm Gira.

During a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Checkoff vice president of international marketing Norman Bessac says Chinese consumption of pork per capita has risen to almost 90 pounds per person per year.

“The goal of the China Market Assessment was to enable the U.S. pork industry to design and implement a long-term strategy for U.S. pork consumption in China, and to add context to one of the most critical export markets.”

The research shows in the short-term, U.S. pork exporters can capitalize on potential market share as China struggles to manage African swine fever.

Longer term, Rupert Claxton with Gira says China will figure out how to deal with ASF, so it’s critical the U.S. pork sector uses the next five years to build customer relationships.

“As we get towards 2025, Chinese domestic production will be rebounding. We’ll see our import position change (as) imported products are displaced in the market. And the Chinese government will continue to walk the line between the investments made in the pig industry, and keeping retail price of pork accessible to consumers.”

U.S. Meat Export Federation pork committee chair Randy Spronk, a pig farmer from Minnesota, calls exports an important piece to the marketing puzzle and says this research will help key decision makers define and develop markets like China.