THE country’s meat imports in September fell sharply from a year ago to their lowest in 19 months, customs data showed yesterday, as cheap domestic pork cut demand for overseas supply.

China brought in 694,000 tons of meat in September, down 17 percent from the same month a year ago, according to the General Administration of Customs. Shipments in the first nine months of the year were 7.38 million tons, down 0.4 percent from last year’s volumes, the data showed.

September imports were also down from the 758,000 tons brought in during August and were the lowest since February 2020.

Domestic pork prices have plunged this year, after production surged because of successful efforts to restock and expand farms following an African swine fever epidemic that decimated herds during 2018 and 2019.

Prices are currently at 15.2 yuan (US$2.36) per kg, a third of what they were at the start of the year.

The government has stepped in to prop up prices, launching a fresh round of stockpiling for its State reserves this month after purchasing 50,000 tons in July.

(SD-Agencies)