# First three quarters: agriculture and rural development maintain good momentum, with meat output up 4.3% and sow herd reduced to target range

> China's National Bureau-style figures for January–September show total pork, beef, mutton and poultry output of 76.27 million tonnes, up 4.3% year on year, with pork up 3.2% and poultry up 9.3%. The breeding sow herd fell to 36.02 million head at end-September, 3.59 million below end-2025 and back within the government's target range. Beef cattle farms have been profitable for 18 months and raw milk prices rose month on month for three straight months.

- Date: 2026-11-04 · published 2026-11-04T21:14:14.375Z
- Category: report · region China · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/80535-first-three-quarters-agriculture-and-rural-development-maintain-good-momentum
- Commodities: [Lean Hogs](https://feedsoft.ai/c/HOGS.md), [Soybean Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBM.md), [Milk (Class III)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/MILK.md)

## Why it matters

Shrinking sow numbers point to tighter pork supply ahead, which supports hog prices and reduces near-term soymeal demand from the hog sector. Rising raw milk prices and cattle margins signal firmer dairy and beef fundamentals.

## Read by commodity

- SBM: bearish ▼
- HOGS: bullish ▲
- MILK: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| HOGS | 2024-04-16 | [China pork output marks first quarterly decline in four years - Grainews](https://feedsoft.ai/events/30730-china-pork-output-marks-first-quarterly-decline-in-four-years-grainews.md) | +1.8% | -1.0% |
| HOGS | 2020-04-03 | [Supplemental Appropriations for Agriculture and Related Agencies Due to COVID-19 - EveryCRSReport.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53625-supplemental-appropriations-for-agriculture-and-related-agencies-due-to-covid.md) | -9.7% | +13.2% |
| HOGS | 2026-02-25 | [USDA February Outlook: Pork Sector Enters 2026 with Momentum, Tightening Supplies and Strong Deman - Swineweb.com - Complete Swine News, Markets, Commentary, and Technical Info](https://feedsoft.ai/events/20750-usda-february-outlook-pork-sector-enters-2026-with-momentum-tightening-supplies.md) | +0.6% | -1.1% |
| HOGS | 2019-04-18 | [Beef Market Update: USDA Cattle on Feed, calving season, and dry pasture conditions on the Prairies - RealAgriculture](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5962-beef-market-update-usda-cattle-on-feed-calving-season-and-dry-pasture.md) | +1.7% | +3.3% |
| HOGS | 2022-03-31 | [Hog report numbers look bullish but can be deceiving, analyst says - Agweek \| #1 source for agriculture news, farming, markets](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42424-hog-report-numbers-look-bullish-but-can-be-deceiving-analyst-says-agweek-1.md) | -3.6% | -0.2% |
| SBM | 2023-01-30 | [soy price development market report \| Agriculture](https://feedsoft.ai/events/37811-soy-price-development-market-report-agriculture.md) | +4.0% | +3.9% |
| SBM | 2022-04-20 | [China’s Struggling Pig Farmers Should Return to Profit in Third Quarter, Agriculture Ministry Official Says](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41837-china-s-struggling-pig-farmers-should-return-to-profit-in-third-quarter.md) | -4.0% | -11.4% |
| SBM | 2022-04-29 | [Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41840-ministry-of-agriculture-and-rural-affairs-of-the-people-s-republic-of-china.md) | -3.3% | -3.4% |

## Sources

- fx168news.com: https://www.fx168news.com/express/fastnews/1462251

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