# China’s beef herd to grow, on the back of high meat prices - Beef Central

> China's beef production is expected to expand as high prices for all meat proteins, driven by African swine fever cutting domestic pork output, encourage herd growth. A USDA GAIN report forecasts China's 2021 pork output up 14% to 47 million tonnes, though analysts question that given new ASF outbreaks and pork reserve releases.

- Date: 2021-03-15 · published 2021-03-15T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region China · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/48053-china-s-beef-herd-to-grow-on-the-back-of-high-meat-prices-beef-central
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Lean Hogs](https://feedsoft.ai/c/HOGS.md)

## Why it matters

Substitution toward beef raises import demand and supports global beef and cattle prices, while a shortfall in pork supports demand for alternative proteins and feed-linked markets.

## Read by commodity

- HOGS: bearish ▼
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2026-05-29 | [No relief in sight for high beef prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19202-no-relief-in-sight-for-high-beef-prices.md) | -0.8% | +1.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-10-12 | [Hog prices slump as China's pork glut deepens - CME
						 \| The Pig Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5784-hog-prices-slump-as-china-s-pork-glut-deepens-cme-the-pig-site.md) | +1.1% | -3.6% |
| LCATTLE | 2018-10-05 | [SE Asia report: Encouraging trends as Indo prices gain strength - Beef Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/62488-se-asia-report-encouraging-trends-as-indo-prices-gain-strength-beef-central.md) | -0.3% | +3.0% |
| LCATTLE | 2019-11-15 | [Consumers must prepare for higher red meat prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/56003-consumers-must-prepare-for-higher-red-meat-prices.md) | +0.4% | +3.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-06-01 | [An economist says the loss of Mexican feeder cattle is hitting U.S. feedlots hard, tightening supplies and driving up beef prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19393-an-economist-says-the-loss-of-mexican-feeder-cattle-is-hitting-u-s-feedlots.md) | -0.3% | +1.6% |
| HOGS | 2021-03-04 | [China’s pork herd recovery still a long way off – despite Govt rhetoric - Beef Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/48103-china-s-pork-herd-recovery-still-a-long-way-off-despite-govt-rhetoric-beef.md) | +2.3% | +15.3% |
| HOGS | 2019-11-11 | [Higher prices of chicken seen \| Philstar.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/56211-higher-prices-of-chicken-seen-philstar-com.md) | -0.9% | -4.9% |
| HOGS | 2019-01-11 | [The Year of the Pig Will Be a Pig of a Year for China's Hogs - Caixin Global](https://feedsoft.ai/events/61088-the-year-of-the-pig-will-be-a-pig-of-a-year-for-china-s-hogs-caixin-global.md) | -1.4% | -7.7% |

## Sources

- beefcentral.com: https://www.beefcentral.com/trade/chinas-beef-herd-to-grow-on-the-back-of-high-meat-prices/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.