According to price monitoring data collected from 500 counties and market monitoring sites nationwide, prices across China’s livestock and feed markets showed mixed movements during the first week of April.
During the week, prices of eggs, commercial poultry chicks, beef cattle, live sheep, broiler feed and layer feed increased from the previous week. Meanwhile, prices of live pigs, pork products, chicken and soybean meal declined. Prices of fresh milk, corn and fattening-pig feed remained broadly unchanged.
Feed ingredient prices remained relatively stable overall, although soybean meal continued to weaken.
The national average price of corn was RMB 2.50/kg, unchanged from the previous week but 5.9% higher year on year. In the three major corn-producing provinces of Northeast China, the average price was RMB 2.33/kg, also unchanged week on week. In Guangdong, a major consumption market, the average price increased slightly to RMB 2.57/kg.
The national average price of soybean meal declined to RMB 3.44/kg, down 0.6% from the previous week and 2.8% year on year.
Among compound feeds, the average price of fattening-pig feed remained at RMB 3.41/kg, unchanged week on week and up 0.3% year on year.
The average price of broiler feed increased by 0.3% week on week to RMB 3.54/kg, while layer feed also rose 0.3% to RMB 3.27/kg. On a year-on-year basis, prices were up 0.6% and 0.9%, respectively.
Overall, feed costs remained relatively stable, with lower soybean meal prices providing some relief to feed manufacturers and livestock producers.
The pig market continued to face downward price pressure.
The national average price of piglets fell to RMB 24.56/kg, down 3.4% week on week and 36.5% year on year. Piglet prices declined across all 29 monitored provinces.
Regional differences remained evident. Northern markets recorded relatively higher prices, with the North China region averaging RMB 25.33/kg, while East China recorded a lower average of RMB 23.53/kg.
The national average price of live pigs dropped to RMB 10.40/kg, down 2.6% from the previous week and 31.4% year on year. All 30 monitored provinces reported week-on-week declines.
Southwestern China recorded the highest regional average at RMB 11.47/kg, while Northeast China had the lowest at RMB 9.84/kg.
The average pork price also decreased to RMB 21.03/kg, down 2.3% week on week and 19.5% year on year. Pork prices declined in 28 provinces, while Beijing and Shanghai remained unchanged.
From a regional perspective, South China continued to report relatively higher pork prices, averaging RMB 23.70/kg, compared with RMB 17.81/kg in Northeast China.
The poultry market showed a mixed performance, with egg prices increasing while chicken prices declined slightly.
The national average price of eggs rose to RMB 8.79/kg, up 0.7% week on week, although the price remained 5.9% below the level of the same period last year.
In the ten major egg-producing provinces, including Hebei and Liaoning, the average egg price increased 1.9% week on week to RMB 7.55/kg.
By contrast, the national average price of chicken declined slightly to RMB 22.21/kg, down 0.3% from the previous week and 3.2% year on year.
Prices of commercial poultry chicks moved higher. The average price of commercial layer chicks increased 0.3% week on week to RMB 3.70 per bird, while commercial broiler chicks rose 0.6% to RMB 3.42 per bird.
Despite the weekly increases, both chick categories remained below last year’s levels, down 10.8% and 1.2%, respectively.
The latest monitoring data indicate that China’s livestock and feed markets remain in a period of differentiated adjustment.
Feed ingredient prices are relatively stable, while soybean meal prices have eased slightly. Pig-related products continue to experience significant year-on-year price declines, reflecting ongoing pressure on the swine market.
The poultry sector presents a more mixed picture, with egg prices showing short-term improvement while chicken and chick prices remain below their year-earlier levels.
For feed manufacturers and livestock producers, raw material costs, feed conversion efficiency and changes in downstream livestock prices will remain important factors influencing margins in the coming months.
Continued monitoring of feed ingredient prices and livestock supply-demand conditions will therefore be essential for understanding market developments across China’s animal nutrition industry.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China
