On April 17, the prices of live pigs (Duroc pigs) and the average price of pork in the market in China experienced another decline, with the price of live pigs hitting a nearly 12-year low. Some organizations believe that the pig farming industry still needs time to digest the high inventory.
According to monitoring data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the Communist Party of China, on April 17, the average price of pork in the wholesale market in China was 14.4 yuan per kilogram. This marked a 1.5% decrease compared to the price of 14.62 yuan per kilogram on the previous Friday (April 10). The average price for the week from the 13th to the 17th was 14.49 yuan per kilogram, a 2.9% decrease from the previous week’s average of 14.92 yuan per kilogram.
During the week of the 13th to the 17th, the average price of live pigs also declined. According to data from China’s pig farming website, on April 17, the price of live pigs (Duroc pigs) was 9 yuan per kilogram. This represented a 1.96% decrease from the price of 9.18 yuan per kilogram on the previous Friday (April 10). Looking at the weekly average price, the average price of live pigs was 8.84 yuan per kilogram, a 6.7% decrease from the previous week’s average of 9.47 yuan per kilogram.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics of the Communist Party of China shows that in late March 2026, the price of live pigs (Duroc pigs) was 9.5 yuan per kilogram, and in early April, it was 9.1 yuan per kilogram. This marked a continuous decline to a nearly 12-year low in the price of live pigs (Duroc pigs).
Regarding the sluggish state of the pig farming industry in China, analysis from brokerage firm Dadifutures quoted by The Paper points out that the acceleration of destocking at the farming end still requires time to progress, and there is unlikely to be significant incremental demand during the off-season. The latest data from the National Statistics Bureau of the Communist Party of China indicates that by the end of the first quarter, the national inventory of live pigs reached 423.58 million heads, an increase of 6.27 million heads year-on-year, representing a 1.5% growth.
Guosen Futures believes that the destocking speed is slightly lower than expected, and with pork prices continuing to remain low and piglets facing losses, the destocking process is expected to continue in the future.