China's Zhongpin to open new Tianjin pork plant in 2010

Zhongpin Inc, a leading Chinese meat and food processing company, Wednesday (Dec 9) announced it would begin production in its new chilled and frozen pork plant in Tianjin on January 20, 2010.

To meet the production date, Zhongpin has accelerated the construction of the plant. When the entire construction is completed in 2010, the Tianjin plant will have an annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes for chilled and frozen pork.

Zhu Xianfu, chairman and CEO of Zhongpin, said the new pork plant's ability to begin production in mid January, which is ahead of schedule, will help meet China's increasing demand for chilled and frozen pork during the peak season of the Spring Festival, which runs from February 14 to 28.

Under China's five-year plan for 2006 to 2010, the Tianjin Binhai New Area will become the country's third growth-and-development region for the next two decades, following in the footsteps of the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions. The government's support, incentives, and direct investment in infrastructure in the Tianjin Binhai New Area will create new growth opportunities for both China's northern region and its national economy.

Furthermore, with Tianjin serving as the land logistics centre and shipping port for much of northern China, Zhongpin will benefit directly from the growth in the region.

China expects its national economy to grow by approximately nine percent in 2010. The firm growth should induce higher pork consumption and hence provide Zhongpin additional support for its market expansions.

The establishment of the Tianjin plant and the regional cold-chain logistics network is an important strategic step forward for Zhongpin as it serves as a master template for the company's future plants and distribution networks. It incorporates all of the company's knowledge on the production and distribution of the most outstanding and safest pork products at the most cost-effective prices.

Meanwhile, Zhongpin plans to duplicate the construction details of the Tianjin plant and network from its home region in central China into the northern and other regional markets of China.