June 30, 2011

Despite the global economic downturn, the outlook for the meat sector remains strong, with the global meat demand expected to grow close to 40% by 2025, primarily driven by changing diet patterns in Asia - particularly China.

In 2009, China produced a total of 76.5 million tonnes of meat, an increase of 5% over 2008, accounting for 29% of the world's total production - making China the largest meat producer in the world. Despite being the world's largest meat producer, China imported 1.38 million tonnes of meat in 2009 to fill a gap in supply.

Presently, pork is the most popular meat in China. Zhongpin Inc is a meat and food processing company that specialises in pork and pork products, vegetables and fruits in China. The company recently posted a 40% on-year surge in first quarter revenues.

US-based Tyson Foods says its Chinese operations are "focusing on the less competitive poultry market - a market which also has more room for growth."