China's Food Is Only Going to Get Pricier
African swine fever is threatening the country’s pork supply. Rising food prices may become more of a headache than the trade war.
This little piggy went to the market.
Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty Images EuropeSmack in the middle of a trade war with the U.S., China is facing a food shortage that’s raising prices for consumers. If officials can’t keep inflation in check, President Donald Trump’s Twitter tantrums will be the least of their worries.
African swine fever is decimating China’s pig population. The country’s stock fell 21%, or by nearly 73 million pigs, from March 2018 through April 2019, according to official statistics. Unofficially, however, industry experts whisper about slides of more than 40% to 50%. That would be comparable to wiping out all the pigs in the U.S. and Europe combined. For a country that derives most of its protein consumption from pork, this is a problem.