Category: Analysis

Wheat conditions are said to be improving according to recent media reports. The amount of the crop rated first or second conditions (equivalent to good or normal) is now at 87.9%. This is up 17.4% compared to conditions going into the over-wintering period. Better spring weather and fertilizer applications are credited for the improvement of… Continue reading Wheat condition improves on better weather, fertilizer use

Covid numbers in Shanghai are off their peak but remain elevated at 22,248 new cases on April 17. Cases detected during mass testing, as opposed to people already in quarantine, have been trending lower but remain high at 561 on Sunday. Conversations with people around Shanghai indicate a high level of scepticism about the official… Continue reading Covid update: case count dips but lockdown measures widen

China’s hog herd size shrank in the first quarter of this year to the lowest level in almost a year due to the current wave of companies seeking to trimming their herd amid negative margins. Total hog herd in the world’s largest hog producing country slid to 422.53 million heads by the end of March… Continue reading Hog herd retreats to near one-year low

Retails sales data for March showed a decline of 3.5% year on year. Food spending data confirms the trend of consumers in China switching their food consumption away from restaurants and to their homes, either by choice or due to lockdowns. Catering and restaurant spending fell sharply, down 16.4% on the year. This is the… Continue reading China retail sales slide as Covid measures dent demand

Xinwang Foodstuffs, a maker of cooking oil, saw its stock down 3.4% today after the company released their 2021 financial information showing revenue was up by 10% but net profits dropped by 39%. The company noted that rising prices of raw materials continue to squeeze their margins and the prices of their products have not… Continue reading Cooking oil company stocks drop amid cost pressure

Auctions of state wheat reserves in China are rumored to suspend temporarily starting next week as logistical disruptions caused by ongoing Covid outbreaks across the country have led to a large backlog of deliveries, according to several people. Auctions of state reserves for domestic buyers are normally announced a week in advance, however there has… Continue reading China halts wheat auctions on Covid-triggered logistical bottleneck

A new pet food safety scandal is going viral in China after nearly 100 cats have died after eating food produced by local brand Singen. Pet food is a rapidly growing market in China as young consumers are typically waiting later in life to have children and are instead getting pets. These younger consumers often… Continue reading Pet food imports could rise after most recent scandal

An association for the animal feed industry in China is seeking plans from companies and academia to develop a formula for lower soymeal adoption. A survey has been sent to animal feed producers, livestock farming companies and research institutions this week to poll ideas for a method that could effectively cut or substitute soymeal usage… Continue reading Feed companies discuss industry-wide soymeal reduction plans

Several animal feed makers in Shanxi province in northern China have reportedly shut operations as a shortage of soymeal hit their supply chains, according to market sources who spoke with Sitonia Consulting team. Animal feed making facilities in Shanxi province that is adjacent to Shandong and Hebei provinces on China’s east coast have been forced… Continue reading Feed companies in Shanxi shut amid soymeal shortage