Pork shortage hurting Chinese economy

**bijou** · 09-10-2011, 03:49 PM

Reporting from Beijing—
Wang Yuying rattled off the ways she cooked pork at home as if she were Bubba talking about shrimp in "Forrest Gump."

"I can make mu shu pork. I can stir fry it with carrots and cucumbers. I can even 'red' cook it," Wang said, describing the famous sweet and sticky braised pork belly favored by Mao Tse-tung.

But on a recent visit to an open air Beijing food market, the 71-year-old grandmother walked out with only green grapes, lettuce and tomatoes.

"No pork!" she said. "It's too expensive. I'll only eat it if I have to."

These are trying times for China's love affair with the other white meat. Wholesale prices for the staple have climbed by more than 60% this year because of tight supplies; that's fueling inflation and squeezing household budgets. Basic stir-fry meat costs about $2.50 per pound, or about one-sixth a laborer's daily wage....

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...0,765797.story

Start hoarding bacon everyone!