According to official figures, China’s inventory of breeding sows rose 0.6% in October, as reported by Reuters. That is a first sign that pig production may soon start to recover after the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks. The recovery was the first small increase since April 2018.

The decline in the pig herd is also slowing, said Yang Zhenhai, director of the animal husbandry and veterinary bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). The pig herd fell by 0.6% in October, easing from a 3% fall in the month before, Zhenhai said.

The 13,000 large farms in China with production of more than 5,000 pigs per year saw a 4.7% increase in their sow stocks in October compared to September, while their pig numbers increased 0.5%.

Agricultural bank Rabobank recently estimated that the herd will be 55% smaller by the end of this year.

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