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Chick-News.com Poultry Industry News, Comments and more by Simon M. Shane

Impact of COVID on Pork Processing and Exports

05/27/2020

According to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, pork-processing capacity decreased from approximately 480 million pounds per week during the first week of April to 320 million pounds during the first week of May.  Capacity utilization declined from 95 percent to 65 percent over the period.  April hog slaughter fell 11 percent compared to the corresponding month in 2019.  Capacity utilization bottomed at 58 percent during the week ending May 1st. 

Exports of pork and pork products in March 2020 attained 701.6 million pounds, 36 percent above March 2019.  Imports by China and Hong Kong combined increased by 330.1 percent from 46 million pounds to 196 million pounds.  Exports to Mexico increased by 9.5 percent in March 2020 compared to March 2019 attaining 141 million pounds or 20.1 percent of total exports. 

During the first quarter of 2020 China imported 928,000 metric tons of pork compared to 334,000 metric tons during the first quarter of 2019.  The United States shipped 168,000 metric tons of pork and pork products to China in the first quarter representing 18.1 percent of total imports by China.  US exports for the quarter represented a six-fold increase over the first quarter of 2019.  The European Union was the major exporter to China with 539,000 metric tons or 58 percent of China's import volume.


 
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