File photo:Xinhua

The China Animal Agriculture Association (CAAA) has prepared related materials and submitted an application to relevant authorities, hoping to use WTO  rules to help address the beef industry's temporary difficulties amid significant challenges in domestic operations and surging beef imports, the Global Times learned from an industry source on Thursday. 

On Thursday, the CAAA held a video conference on the domestic beef production situation, attended by heads of relevant industry associations from nine major production provinces and regions, including North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Northeast China's Jilin and Liaoning provinces, and East China's Shandong Province, according to the source. 

At the meeting, all attendees highlighted that currently, production and operation of China's beef industry is facing serious difficulties. In November, the national average price of beef was 60.04 yuan ($8.23) per kilogram, a 14.79 percent year-on-year drop and the lowest level since September 2019. 

Even worse, farmers in some areas have already sold off and slaughtered breeding cows on a large scale, seriously undermining the foundation of China's beef industry, according to industry leaders at the meeting.  

At the same time, industry leaders noted at the meeting, China's imports of foreign beef have grown rapidly, particularly between 2019 and 2023, during which beef imports surged by 65 percent. In the first half of 2024, beef imports more than doubled those in the first half of 2019. 

Meanwhile, nearly 70 percent of Chinese cattle farmers are currently incurring losses, according to the industry leaders at the meeting. 

"In order to help the industry overcome the difficulties, the association has prepared related materials and submitted an application to relevant authorities, hoping to use WTO  rules to alleviate the temporary challenges facing the industry," the industry source said.