Chinese pork prices are set to jump 70 percent in the second half of the year, a senior official said on Wednesday, after data showed an outbreak of African swine fever cut the world’s largest hog herd by 10 percent in the first quarter. China’s pork production fell 5 percent in the first three months of 2019 and much bigger declines are expected in coming quarters, analysts said, as the country struggles to contain the spread of the deadly disease. The forecast comes as Washington and Beijing are trying to hammer out a deal to end a months-long trade war that could include China buying more U.S. pork to meet a growing supply deficit, sources told Reuters. “Second quarter [production] will see a marked drop from the first […]