INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
By Alfred CangChina’s 400 million pigs may have to get used to a new diet in the name of national interest.
The country is considering
whether to cut the amount of protein required in food for pigs, according to the state-run China Feed Industry Association, to reduce
soybean purchases from abroad
The nation’s facing soaring prices of meal made from the oilseed -- a principal source of animal protein -- after imposing a 25 percent
duty on soybean imports from the U.S., its biggest supplier.
While the association didn’t attribute the proposal to the escalating trade
war with the U.S., it follows earlier signs that the world’s biggest buyer of soybeans is looking for ways to reduce its reliance on
America as tensions flare.
The Asian nation has turned to Brazil and buyers are discussing potential trade expansions with Argentina and
With supplies from Brazil drying up and the U.S
typically the major seller in the fourth quarter, China’s domestic processors risk running out of the oilseed.
The state-run association
has now proposed reducing the minimum requirement for crude protein levels in pig feed as well as setting a maximum level, according to a
statement posted on its website
The heavier the animal, the lower the requirement would be
The group is seeking feedback before Oct
Requirements for laying hens and broiler chickens may also be cut, it said.
“Protein feed has long relied on imports, which has become a
bottleneck restricting the development of China’s feed industry and aquaculture industry,” the association said in its introduction to
With improving animal nutrition research, especially the development of low-protein diet preparation technology, the level of crude protein
can be significantly reduced, it said.
The lower protein level will be compensated for by the addition of alternative amino acids and
enzymes, according to the association
China can reduce soybean imports by more than 10 million metric tons this year with measures including using low-protein diet formulas in
animal feed, the official Xinhua News Agency said in August.
China is the world’s biggest pork producer and consumer, and imports soybeans
to process into meal for hogs
Domestic soybean meal prices have surged 26 percent this year on expectations of a looming shortage
Futures rose 1.1 percent to 3,487 yuan a metric ton on Tuesday, the highest close for the most-active contract since July 2014.
