Meat consumption habits to change in China

According to the GIRA study, the animal protein market in CHINA will undergo important changes in the coming years. Pork consumption, which has already declined from pre-ASF levels, will fall further.

The impact of ASF on the diet of Chinese consumers varies according to their socioeconomic status. "Anecdotal evidence suggests that low-income consumers have replaced pork with fish, eggs, poultry, and soy-based products such as bean curds, while higher-income consumers have increased consumption of various proteins such as red MEAT, seafood and other premium products," the MLA Market Review says.

GIRA postulated that even after China's pigfully recover, Chinese consumers will continue to eat less pork, with annual per capita consumption unlikely to return to its pre-ASF peak in 2014 of 41.7 kg per person. For example, per capita fish consumption in China jumped from 41.1 kg in 2015 to 43.1 kg last year and is expected to reach 45.7 kg in 2025. In the next 5 years, beef consumption may increase by 10% from 7 kg per person. up to 7.7 kg together with offal (from 2.2 kg to 2.8 kg). Poultry consumption is expected to remain at 16.7 kg over the next 5 years, while pork consumption is expected to increase from the 23.2 kg reported last year to 33.9 kg, but still below 40 .5 kg per person reported five years ago.

This year, the EU, US , CANADA and Brazil are likely to remain key suppliers of pork to China . However, this may change over the next 2 years if the Asian country is able to contain the spread of the ASF virus.