China opening up for Irish meat
Ireland’s top two pork processors have recently been approved by the Chinese authorities to export to the country.
Both companies, Glanbia Meats and Dawn Pork & Bacon, are waiting for the final certificates to be issued before shipments start, hopefully by the end of 2006.
China is attractive to European pork processors, since they are facing low meat prices at the moment. Certain parts of the pig carcass not valued in Europe can be worth more than the cuts considered to be prime at home.
China is the world’s largest pork producer and consumer and is expected to become larger as the world’s biggest population grows both in income and thus spends more on meat.
In 2005, per capita pork consumption in China reached 33 kilogrammes, higher than the world average, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.
The country’s food promotion board, Bord Bia, said it is using the pork approvals to open up discussion on beef exports. However, since the pigmeat approvals took over two years to be concluded it is not likely that the Chinese will allow beef overnight.
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