Figures from McKinsey show that in 2021, China consumed 57 million tons of pork making up about 60% of the country’s total meat consumption. China alone accounts for at least 40% of global consumption. So pork in China is a big deal. An outbreak of African Swine Fever over 2018-2019 led to a loss of around half of the Chinese pig stocks. A new wave of mega-farms hopes to bridge the gap between demand and supply and help the country reach food autonomy.

Farming in China has traditionally been on a small scale and this has also been the same with the raising of pigs where the average farmer has a few animals. In contrast, the average pig farm in North Carolina, the state that produces the second largest amount of pork in the US, has over 4000 animals and some have in excess of 10,000.

 

Mark Andrews has written about everything from Japanese houses to heli hikes on New Zealand glaciers, test drives of Chinese cars to bar and restaurant reviews. He currently specialises in travel articles and reviews of Chinese cars plus articles about the Chinese auto industry.