- Title: Chinese consumers worry about pork price ahead of holiday
- Date: 30th September 2019
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 23, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CUSTOMER PURCHASING PORK WORKER CHOPPING PORK ON THE TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) MR. GUO, BEIJING LOCAL, SAYING: "I think the price rose too fast. People wouldn't have noticed if it was just 2 or 3 yuan rise, but it was a two times rise, then it made me wonder whether something went wrong in the pork industry. Right? It had led to a supply shortage." REPORTER: Would it affect you from buying pork? "Yes it will definitely affect me. Like what I said, I might eat four to five times per month, but now perhaps I would only eat once a month." VARIOUS OF WORKER CHOPPING PORK CUSTOMER CHOOSING PORK PRICE ON SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) LI MINHUA, 64, SAYING: "I buy pork almost every week. Sometimes when price is good, I will buy more to put into the refrigerator to cook later. Now it looks like it has become very expensive, and I will only buy what I need. It is meaningless to buy too many pork and I am expecting a price drop." PEOPLE WALKING IN THE SUPERMARKET CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG PAPER-CUT WORKER WEIGHING PORK / HANDING OUT PORK HAND PICKING UP PORK BELLY (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) WANG SHENCUN, 64, SAYING: "The price is high. It was only around 10 yuan, and now it is around 20 yuan." REPORTER: Does it affect your purchase? "Yes, it affects my life. Because if the price of pork rises, the other food price will rise too. It is a (price) sensitive food item that will lead the price of other foods." PORK IN THE REFRIGERATOR (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) ZHANG YUYING, 79, SAYING: "In the past I liked to buy pork ribs and bones, and because I always buy pork fillet (which are expensive) and now I know the price (of it) become very high, so I changed to eat more chicken and beef. This is fine to me." SHANGHAI, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ANALYST OF EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL, MIRANDA ZHOU WORKING IN THE OFFICE
- Embargoed: 14th October 2019 04:56
- Keywords: Pork pigs Chinese consumers supermarket pig farm
- Location: BEIJING, SHANGHAI, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, SHANGHAI, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYUKPJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: China's supermarkets are topping up their meat counters with frozen pork from state reserves, after prices of the nation's favourite protein source surged to budget-busting levels, threatening to mar this week's National Day festivities.
Pork, which has a prominent place at nearly every Chinese dinner table, is in short supply after a deadly virus infected and killed millions of hogs across China over the last year.
Beijing has stepped in to try and quell prices that have jumped to almost double what they were a year ago and are still climbing daily, releasing 30,000 tonnes of pork in three batches over the last fortnight.
That appears to have dampened further price increases for now and helped sales, at least in the capital Beijing.
Cheaper meat will be a relief to many ahead of the holidays. Chinese typically gather for elaborate meals during festivals, and most of the repasts will feature pork in some form.
Shoppers in Beijing said they will not skimp on meat during the holidays, whatever the price, though they have been reducing their intake at regular mealtimes.
"I might eat four to five times per month, but now perhaps I would only eat once a month," says Mr. Gao who only gave us his last name.
Many people are substituting chicken, duck or beef for some of their pork intake. With pork being so pricey that even more expensive meats now appear affordable.
State sales will have limited impact on prices overall, said Miranda Zhou, an analyst at Euromonitor, with total reserve volumes sold in recent weeks just a "drop in the ocean" in a country that has huge consumption on pork.
(Production: Thomas Sun) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None