农业行业2025年中期投资策略：大畜牧养殖板块有望迎来景气共振，新消费乘势而上

Group 1: Beef Industry - The beef cycle in China is undergoing significant changes, with a long-term trend of price increases due to lower production capacity compared to consumption growth. The high profitability cycle in beef farming is leading to aggressive expansion downstream, but this has resulted in substantial losses since July 2023. The industry is characterized by low concentration and severe information asymmetry, similar to the pig farming industry before the African swine fever outbreak. Once capacity is effectively cleared, supply-demand mismatches and price elasticity may exceed expectations [3][57]. - China's beef production capacity is not proportional to its beef output, with a significant gap between live cattle production and beef yield. In 2024, China is projected to produce 520 million live cattle but only 779 million tons of beef, indicating inefficiencies in production practices [19][24]. - The beef import dependency in China has increased significantly, with imports rising from 601,000 tons in 2016 to 2,915,000 tons in 2024, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.8%. This has amplified the impact of imports on domestic beef pricing [24][25]. Group 2: Swine Industry - The swine industry is expected to experience a short-term decline in prices due to an oversupply of pigs, with the national breeding sow inventory remaining stable but limited growth. The Ministry of Agriculture has mandated a halt to the expansion of breeding sows, which will impact supply dynamics in the second half of 2025 [87][89]. - The supply of piglets is expected to increase, leading to higher market pressures in the second half of 2025. However, potential outbreaks of diseases in the autumn and winter could lead to a temporary decrease in supply, which may cause prices to rise in 2026 [89][92]. - The average asset-liability ratio of listed pig farming companies has improved from 73.9% to 61.6% between Q2 2023 and Q1 2025, indicating a recovery in financial health among leading firms in the industry [99]. Group 3: Animal Health Industry - The animal health sector is expected to benefit from improvements in efficiency and cost management, despite an oversupply in the breeding industry. The demand for veterinary drugs is anticipated to rise as pig prices recover, which will positively impact upstream animal health companies [84][90]. - The industry is transitioning from a focus on scale to an emphasis on quality, with the development of vaccines against diseases like African swine fever becoming a critical catalyst for growth in the animal health sector [90][92]. Group 4: New Consumption Trends - The pet consumption market in China is steadily growing, with the overall market size expected to reach 300.2 billion yuan in 2024, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 7.5%. The pet cat market is particularly strong, with a growth rate of 10.7% [59][62]. - Domestic brands are gaining popularity among pet owners, with a significant increase in preference for local products over foreign brands. This trend is driven by cost advantages and effective marketing strategies during major shopping events [72][79]. - The demand for pets as companions is rising due to demographic changes, including an aging population and declining marriage rates, which is expected to further boost the pet industry [67][68].