Beef and mutton prices in farmers' markets fell slightly, making meat more affordable

According to fixed-point monitoring of livestock and poultry products and feed prices at 500 farmers' markets nationwide, in the third week of August (collection date August 17), prices of piglets, live pigs, beef and mutton, and corn declined, pork prices were flat, and prices of poultry products and fresh milk rose.

Live pig prices. The national average price of live pigs was 18.62 yuan/kg, down 0.4% from the previous week and up 2.8% year on year (abbreviated as year on year, the same below). Live pig prices rose in 8 provinces and fell in 22 provinces. The average price of live pigs in the northwest region was relatively high, at 19.17 yuan/kg; it was relatively low in the northeast region, at 17.74 yuan/kg. The national average pork price was 29.71 yuan/kg, flat with the previous week and up 5.6% year on year. Pork prices rose in 13 provinces, were flat in 4 provinces, and fell in 13 provinces. The average pork price in the southwest region was relatively high, at 30.41 yuan/kg; it was relatively low in the north China region, at 28.82 yuan/kg. The national average price of piglets was 47.07 yuan/kg, down 0.4% from the previous week and up 36.6% year on year. Piglet prices rose in 8 provinces, were flat in 1 province, and fell in 21 provinces.

Egg prices. The national average egg price was 8.98 yuan/kg, up 1.6% from the previous week and down 11.4% year on year. The average egg price in 10 major producing provinces including Hebei and Liaoning was 7.36 yuan/kg, up 4.1% from the previous week and down 16.3% year on year. The national average price of live chickens was 18.61 yuan/kg, up 0.2% from the previous week and down 1.3% year on year; the average price of dressed chickens was 18.94 yuan/kg, up 0.2% from the previous week and down 0.9% year on year. The average price of commercial laying hen chicks was 3.4 yuan/bird, down 0.3% from the previous week and up 8.6% year on year; the average price of commercial broiler chicks was 3.14 yuan/bird, up 0.3% from the previous week and up 13.4% year on year.

Beef and mutton prices. The national average beef price was 61.77 yuan/kg, down 0.1% from the previous week and down 1.6% year on year. The average beef price in major producing provinces including Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin, Shandong and Henan was 55.23 yuan/kg, down 0.1% from the previous week; the average price in provinces including Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangsu was 73.61 yuan/kg, down 0.1% from the previous week. The national average mutton price was 54.79 yuan/kg, down 0.2% from the previous week and down 8.6% year on year. The average mutton price in major producing provinces including Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Henan and ** was 50.63 yuan/kg, down 0.1% from the previous week; the average price in provinces including Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and Guangdong was 65.02 yuan/kg, flat with the previous week.

Fresh milk prices. The average price of fresh milk in 10 major dairy cow producing provinces (regions) including Inner Mongolia and Hebei was 3.4 yuan/kg, up 0.3% from the previous week and down 0.6% year on year.

Feed prices. The national average corn price was 2.07 yuan/kg, down 0.5% from the previous week and down 15.9% year on year. The average corn price in the three northeastern provinces, the main producing areas, was 1.9 yuan/kg, down 0.5% from the previous week; the corn price in Guangdong province, a major sales area, was 2.22 yuan/kg, down 0.4% from the previous week. The national average soybean meal price was 3.44 yuan/kg, down 0.3% from the previous week and up 3.9% year on year. The average price of compound feed for finishing pigs was 3.1 yuan/kg, flat with the previous week and down 4.3% year on year. The average price of compound feed for broilers was 3.14 yuan/kg, down 0.3% from the previous week and down 5.4% year on year. The average price of compound feed for laying hens was 2.87 yuan/kg, down 0.3% from the previous week and down 5.6% year on year.