November 29, 2017

UK set to export more pork products to China

The UK is set to ship more pork products to China as one of the country's largest food producers has received official notification to start supplying pigs' trotters to the Asian giant market following a successful inspection by Chinese authorities, AHDB Pork said. The approved firm was not identified.

Two other facilities in Northern Ireland have also received the first ever approval to export all cuts of pork including trotters.

"I am delighted that we have secured this latest opportunity in what has been a long-term project involving collaboration across industry and government", said.Dr Phil Hadley, international market development director.

"This is a significant step forward in our ambitions for China and stands to have a huge impact on the whole supply chain", he added.

The pork division of the UK Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board has identified China as a "very high" potential market for UK pig meat exports and it is already the UK's biggest customer outside the EU. The UK imported 40,000 tonnes of pork and 36,000 tonnes of offal last year.

AHDB Pork said exporting the so-called fifth quarter-products that have limited domestic demand in the UK but are prized in the Chinese market-is particularly beneficial to the industry.

China is predicted to remain the world's largest net importer of meat including pork.-Rick Alberto