May 18, 2012

 

 

Farming Minister, Jim Paice, will travel to the Far East this morning to finalise a new agreement which would see the world's most populous country open its borders to British pork.

 

Meat is in increasing demand among China's burgeoning middle class, with pork the most popular choice for those with money to spend.

 

The prospect of selling pork to the 500 million Chinese residents expected to be eating meat by the end of the decade offers the chance of a major export boom for the Westcountry's pig farmers. The government is hopeful the market will immediately be worth GBP50 million (US$78.9 million) a year - a figure that will grow considerably in the years to come.

 

"Opening up the Chinese market to pig meat is the main objective of this trade mission," Mr Paice said. "We have been negotiating for several years and we are nearly there.

 

"There is a huge opportunity. Meat consumption has been rising dramatically and is expected to keep increasing. You're talking about a market where half a billion people will be eating meat by 2020 - however improved the Chinese farming industry becomes it is not going to be able to meet that need."

 

Just as important to the UK will be the sale of pig farming techniques to China - much of it related to genetic science and raising productivity.

 

Mr Paice said he also hopes to begin negotiations about opening up Chinese markets to British beef and lamb.

 

"I think there's still a little bit of hesitancy there, if I'm honest, because of BSE," he said. "But we are working hard on it and I'm hopeful we can make some progress."

 

The government is eyeing the untapped potential of exporting to "BRIC" nations: Brazil, Russia, India and China.

 

The UK currently sells more to Belgium than it does to all four BRIC countries - and Mexico - combined.