(Yicai Global) Dec. 23 -- The price of beef in China has soared since September as cattle farmers are unable to keep up with growing demand as Chinese people’s tastes evolve and their spending power improves.

Beef was costing as much as CNY94 (USD14.80) per kilogram in Shanghai’s wholesale markets last month and up to CNY75 per kg in Beijing, according to the Ministry of Commerce's agricultural products information platform. Pork, by contrast, costs CNY16.80 (USD2.64) per kg.

Per capita beef consumption jumped 18 percent last year from 2015 to 6 kilograms, yet production has only grown 9 percent over the period to 6.7 million tons, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. As a result, the country relies on imports. A quarter of its beef consumption was imported last year at 2.1 million tons.

High beef prices indicate supply cannot keep up with the demands of a high-quality lifestyle, said Shen Weiping, chairman of Yunnan Pengxin Fusheng Agricultural Development.

Beef is expensive in China as it is still a 'luxury,' said Shi Youlong, former general animal husbandry expert of the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs.

The eye-watering cost of beef is due to several factors, Shi said. First, the country is reliant on beef imports because it doesn’t have enough cattle. Second, it costs a lot to rear cattle as animal feed, especially protein feed, is in short supply. Third, the sector needs more specialist training and better policy support.

China should be producing 6.8 million tons of beef by 2025, or 85 percent of its needs, the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs said in May. The Ministry will also improve technical services and strengthen brand building, it said.

Editors: Zhang Yushuo, Kim Taylor