THE country’s pig herd in September was 41.1 percent smaller than it was a year earlier, the agriculture ministry said Monday, as a year-long African swine fever epidemic continued to slash the world’s largest herd.

The number of sows in China also fell by 38.9 percent in September, after the disease spread to every province in the country.

The declines last month were larger than in August when the pig herd shrank by 38.7 percent and sow numbers fell 37.4 percent.

Rabobank estimates that the herd could fall by 55 percent by the end of the year.

“Next year, especially in the first half, production will go down further,” Pan Chenjun, senior analyst at the bank, said Friday.

China has issued a series of policies recently aimed at supporting national hog production, as pork prices have surged to record highs.

But while large companies are expanding aggressively, individual farmers are just trying to produce larger pigs instead of expanding their herds, said Pan.

Previous media reports said farmers are raising heftier pigs, to as much as 150 kg, to benefit from soaring pork prices.

Hogs were typically slaughtered in China at around 100 kg, but live hog prices have risen to as much as 33 yuan per kg – a record – in some parts of the country, more than double prices of a year ago.(SD-Agencies)