By Dori Modney

Canadian Pork markets made gains, before COVID arrived

Dec 3, 2020 | 10:40 AM

EDMONTON, AB. — Many agricultural markets have seen a positive return this year, in spite of COVID. One of those markets is pork.

Substantial gains were made in exports, particularly to China and Vietnam, before COVID hit. Pork exports for the January to September period are 18.2 per cent by volume and 20.9 per cent by value higher than in 2019. Year-to-date pork exports are $3.75 billion (1.1 million tonnes).

On a volume basis, substantial gains have been made into China and Vietnam. China has imported 481,914 tonnes of pork, up 119 per cent from last year. For Vietnam, exports are up 461 per cent at 20,251 tonnes.

Jason Wood, provincial livestock market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, notes pork exports to China have increased rapidly following the temporary import suspension that was placed on Canadian pork exports in July 2019.

Pork Exports — courtesy of Alberta Agriculture

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There are positive numbers, even though three Canadian exporters remain temporarily suspended on exporting pork to China following the issuance of incorrect export certificates. However, China has placed temporary export suspensions on seven additional pork exporters, related to COVID-19 reports at those facilities.

It means that 10-pork plants and one beef plant are not permitted to export to China, which is about 65 per cent of Canada’s processing capacity.

According to Woods, “A plant delisting due to a COVID-19 related event takes about six to eight weeks to resolve with China. However, some plants in Canada have passed that milestone with no indication of when the export suspension may be lifted.”

He also states, “About two-thirds of Canadian pork processing capacity under a temporary import suspension, pork exports to China will likely decline in the short-term.”