China building big pig towers

Feb 08, 2023

Ryan Robertson Anchor, Investigative Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor, Investigative Reporter)

As the world’s most populous country, China has a lot of mouths to feed. Pork is the primary protein in the Chinese diet, and even though China produces more pork than any other country, it’s still not enough to meet domestic demand.

It’s one of the many elements China will need to factor into the equation as it weighs a possible military invasion of Taiwan. Invasion would mean war. War would likely mean the end of food imports, and China could face famine. Between 1959 and 1961, an estimated 30 million Chinese people starved to death in one of the world’s most severe famines on record.

With 10% of the world’s arable land and 20% of the world’s population, China is in an agricultural deficit. According to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, “a country must strengthen its agriculture before making itself a great power.”

In 2019, the Chinese cabinet ordered all government offices to support the pork industry, including financial support for more large-scale pig farms.

The New York Times profiled a factory farm in Ezhou, one of dozens of multi-story farms to pop up in China since 2019. Twenty four of the building’s 26 floors are dedicated to raising pigs from insemination to maturity, with each floor essentially operating as its own farm.

Conveyor belts deliver more than a million pounds of feed to the pigs every day. Manure is also collected and repurposed as methane to produce electricity. A second 26-story facility is being constructed next to the existing farm. Once both buildings are fully operational, they are expected to raise 1.2 million pigs annually.

High-rise hog farms became more popular after 2018, when around half of China’s pig population was wiped out by swine flu. Ironically, by stacking so many animals in such tight quarters, American agricultural producers said the Chinese may be opening themselves up to another disaster, because disease spreads easily in confined spaces.

Tags: Agriculture, China, Taiwan, Xi Jinping

HOG HOTELS. PORK PALACES. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM, THESE MONOLITHS TO MEAT PRODUCTION ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN CHINA.

AS THE WORLD’S MOST POPULATED COUNTRY, CHINA HAS A LOT OF MOUTHS TO FEED. PORK IS THE PRIMARY PROTEIN IN THE CHINESE DIET, AND EVEN THOUGH CHINA PRODUCES MORE PORK THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, IT’S STILL NOT ENOUGH TO MEET DOMESTIC DEMAND.

WHICH CHINA WILL NEED TO FACTOR INTO THE EQUATION AS IT WEIGHS A POSSIBLE MILITARY INVASION OF TAIWAN. INVASION WOULD MEAN WAR. WAR WOULD LIKELY MEAN THE END OF FOOD IMPORTS, AND CHINA COULD FACE FAMINE.

WITH 10% OF THE WORLD’S ARABLE LAND, AND 20% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION, CHINA IS IN AN AGRICULTURAL DEFICIT. ACCORDING TO CHINESE LEADER XI JINPING’S OWN WORDS, A COUNTRY MUST STRENGTHEN ITS AGRICULTURE BEFORE MAKING ITSELF A GREAT POWER.

IN 2019, THE CHINESE CABINET ORDERED ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICES TO SUPPORT THE PORK INDUSTRY, INCLUDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR MORE LARGE-SCALE PIG FARMS.

THIS FACTORY FARM IN EZHOU IS ONE OF DOZENS OF MULTI-STORY FARMS TO POP UP IN CHINA SINCE 2019. 24 OF THE BUILDING’S 26 FLOORS ARE DEDICATED TO RAISING PIGS FROM INSEMINATION TO MATURITY, WITH EACH FLOOR ESSENTIALLY OPERATING AS ITS OWN FARM.

CONVEYOR BELTS DELIVER MORE THAN A MILLION POUNDS OF FEED TO THE ANIMALS EVERY DAY. MANURE IS ALSO COLLECTED AND REPURPOSED AS METHANE TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY. THE POPULARITY OF THESE HIGH-RISE PIG FARMS GREW RAPIDLY AFTER 2018, WHEN AROUND HALF OF CHINA’S PIG POPULATION WAS WIPED OUT BY SWINE FLU.

IRONICALLY, BY STACKING SO MANY ANIMALS IN SUCH TIGHT QUARTERS, AMERICAN AG PRODUCERS SAY THE CHINESE MAY BE OPENING THEMSELVES UP TO ANOTHER DISASTER, BECAUSE DISEASE SPREADS EASILY IN CONFINED SPACES.

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