Japan’s total hog slaughter in 2017 to sustain at nearly the same level as the previous year at around 16.37 million head.
According to GAIN-USDA Report «Japan- Livestock and Products Annual: 2017 Market Situation Update and 2018 Outlook», Japan swine inventory data released in July showed that the 2017 year-beginning total number of hogs raised was slightly higher than the previous year at 7.797 million head. The beginning sow stock, which had been declining in recent years, was sustained slightly lower at 839,000 head. The number of swine operators in Japan fell another three percent to 4,700, indicating continued consolidation within the Japanese swine industry.
Japan’s total hog slaughter in 2017 to sustain at nearly the same level as the previous year at around 16.37 million head (or total pork production at 1.275 million MT). Hog slaughter and pork production for the first six months of 2017 remained roughly the same as the previous year at 8.132 million head or 637,749 MT. In effect, quarterly average wholesale prices of fresh/chilled pork cuts, which declined in the previous year, also stabilized by hovering around previous year levels.
Post predicts that prevailing market dynamics in 2017 for Japanese pork will carry through to 2018 with flat domestic production sustaining strong demand for imports. However, market saturation may lead to greater cross-commodity competition with beef and chicken, possibly constraining Japan’s pork market growth in 2018. As such, total pork consumption to decrease slightly from the previous year to 2.660 million MT with total imports at 1.405 million MT. Hog slaughter is projected flat at 16.3 million head with pork production at 1.27 million MT.
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