0
From 2017 to 2024, the U.S. accounted for 36% of China’s live breeding swine imports followed by France (32%) and Denmark (25%). U.S. live breeding swine exports to China were valued at $15.7 million in 2023. Swine semen does not currently have market access to China.
China's swine breeding system follows a hierarchical structure with four tiers:
- Nucleus Farms (Great Grandparent - GGP)
- Multiplier Farms (Grandparent - GP)
- Commercial Farms (Parent - P)
- Commercial Production
The National Pig Genetic Improvement Plan (2021-2035), which was launched in April 2021 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, sets the goal of maintaining a self-sufficiency rate of over 95% for China’s nucleus herds by 2035. The program also aims to establish the "China Bred" swine brand. To avoid performance degradation, China needs to keep replenishing purebred breeding stock by introducing live breeding swine from other countries.
Import of purebred live swine
China began purchasing live breeding swine from other countries in the early 1990s but in fairly small quantities. From 2005, China’s imports increased to over 2,000 head annually. In 2017, China’s import of live breeding swine hit a historical high with a total import of 11,174 head. From 2017 to 2024, China imported a total of 89,557 head of purebred breeding swine with a total value of $225.7 million.
In 2024, China imported only 3,769 head of purebred breeding swine, marking a 53% decrease compared to the previous year. One of the key reasons for the reduced import of live breeding sows is believed to be the difficulty of the domestic market in 2023. As a result, breeding farms were more cautious, scaling back investments and revising their expansion plans. U.S. suppliers and exporters predict an increase in the import of live breeding swine in 2025.
Projected demand for purebred swine
The current size of China’s nucleus herd is about 190,000 head. Based on the past import data of purebred live swine, it is predicted that China will need to import between 5,000 to 10,000 head of purebred swine every year to replenish its GGP swine inventory. The total value is estimated at $15 to $30 million.
In addition to the imports of purebred live swine, there is a demand from Chinese swine industry members for technical support and services related to swine genetics.
March 14, 2025/ USDA/ United States.
https://apps.fas.usda.gov/
