May 21, 2012
UK to enter Chinese pork market
The UK has gained entry to the Chinese pork market, paving the way for trade expected to hit GBP50 million (US$79.1 million) yearly.
Tulip, the UK's biggest pork group, is already preparing for its first shipment to China which despite producing more than 50 million tonnes of pork a year, about half the world total is struggling to meet demand spurred by consumers' growing affluence.
Chinese eat nearly 40 kilogrammes of pork each a year, compared with just 5.1 kilogrammes a head for the average Briton, according to Euromonitor data, which ranks Austria as the top consumers, at 69.2 kilogrammes a year.
Most of the pork shipped will be of the so-called "fifth quarter", the parts such as ears, offal and trotters which Chinese treat as a delicacy, but are little prized by Britons.
Pork trade with China will "soon be worth" more than GBP50 million (US$79.1 million) a year, according to UK pig industry estimates, besides trade in live pigs to boost the genetics of the Chinese herd.
"British pigs are far more fertile and productive," Defra, the UK farm ministry, said.
Genus, the UK-based genetics group, has already launched operations in China, as part of a drive to exploit growing meat production in developing nations.
Many European countries have also gained export consent, including Germany since the end of 2009 and the Netherlands.
Indeed, EU exports to China of fresh and frozen pork "nearly tripled" last year, with those to Hong Kong rising 40%, according to the USDA.
