China to Buy British Pork in £50 million Landmark Deal

The Chinese will hereafter be able to taste British pork after the country finalised a £50 million deal.

China is the world's biggest market for pig meat and this long-awaited deal is considered to be a landmark agreement in the trade talks between the countries.

Agriculture Minister Jim Paice who is on a trip to China announced the agreement which will give a huge boost to the British food and farming business.

"China is the most lucrative grocery market in the world and from fashion to food its rapidly expanding middle class has an appetite for Western goods. In particular they are eating more meat, and our top quality producers have got huge opportunities to meet that demand and help our economic recovery," said Paice in a statement.

Britain plans to export much of the offal, trotters, ears and other parts of the "fifth quarter" which the Chinese would eat but not the British.

The domestic meat industry in China is unable to meet the growing demand in the country.

There are also plans in the industry for further breeding programmes of British pigs since they are seen as more fertile and productive.

"This is a wonderful achievement and something we have been working towards for several years in close co-operation with [Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs] Defra and the British embassy in Beijing. The process has been a long one but I know it will prove to be extremely worthwhile," said the British Pig Executive (BPEX) chairperson Stewart Houston.

Tulip, the UK's biggest producer of British pork, is already prepared with the first set of consignment to be dispatched.

"The news of the clearance to supply British pig meat into China is the culmination of many months' hard work by the team at Defra, BPEX and the National Pig Association who have played a vital role in securing this export business opportunity by working in conjunction with the pig meat processing industry and UK pig farmers. The commitment by China to use British pig meat is true testament to the quality and standards in place across the UK pig industry and provides us with an exciting opportunity to enter a developing market," said Tulip's Director of Agriculture, Andrew Saunders.

The government is also pitching for more such opportunities through this landmark deal.