Netherlands allowed to export pig feet to China
The Chinese authorities have formally allowed as from 1 November the imports of pig trotters from the Netherlands.
In June last year, China had already allowed a limited number of pork products to be shipped from the Netherlands to China. At that time, trotters had not been included yet.
For the full economic valorisation of pig carcasses, the admission is very important. Demand for pig trotters is high in China, with the Chinese New Year coming up in the beginning of 2013.
The allowance of exporting pig trotters marks the end of a multi-year project by the Dutch ministry of Economy, Agriculture and Innovation, as well as several Dutch lobby groups and agricultural organisations.
The Chinese authorities have emphasised that pig trotters will only eligible for exporting if the Dutch processing companies have been approved for export and are in the possession of an approved protocol for producing pig trotters.
