Briefly

Gold output, use fall in first nine months

China produced 262.93 metric tons of gold in the first nine months of this year, down by 12.42 tons or 4.51 percent over the same period a year ago, industry data showed. Gold consumption fell by 28.66 percent on a yearly basis to 548.09 tons during the first three quarters, according to data released by the China Gold Association. Consumption of gold jewelry in the Chinese market stood at 343.08 tons in the January-September period, down by 34.43 percent on a yearly basis, while consumption of gold coins and bars shrank 14.07 percent year-on-year to 142.52 tons, CGA data showed.

Pork supply set to increase by 30%

The supply of pork in China is expected to increase by 30 percent on a yearly basis during the upcoming New Year and Spring Festival holidays as production recovers and imports rise, the agriculture ministry said. Measures such as accelerating the expansion of farms and regular control of African swine fever have significantly promoted the resumption of hog production. By the end of September, the number of hogs available for slaughter had reached 370 million, up 84 percent over the level at the end of 2017.

Xinhua