Four cattle and six pig slaughterhouses in Great Britain have recently received an export license from the Chinese authorities. The first shipments will probably arrive in China at the end of 2019. The agreement puts an end to the 20-year ban on British beef caused by the BSE outbreak at the end of the last century, reports Global Meat News.
The trade agreement was signed last June, which concluded a 5-year negotiation process. China is a lucrative market for meat. British pork exports have yielded 369 million British pounds so far this year, of which 93 million thanks to sales to China. This is an increase of 111% compared to last year. This increase is mainly due to the outbreaks of African swine fever in China, which is causing the pig herd there to halve.
Phil Hadley, the director of AHDB (the British product board for the pig sector), says it is good that Britain has a trade agreement with a new market outside the European Union. He stressed that the timing of the agreement was not necessarily a result of the Brexit negotiations between Britain and the European Union.
Good deal for slaughterhouses
According to the NPA, the UK's national pig association, the deal could be worth millions of pounds for the pig abattoirs involved. These include Cranswick, Karro and Tulip. The beef slaughterhouses can also squeeze their hands with the agreement, according to the British market agency AHDB. According to the market bureau, the deal will be worth £5 million over 230 years.
Happy British politics
George Eustice, Britain's agriculture minister, sees the deal as a victory for Britain's meat industry. According to Eustice, access to China's meat market is unlocked. State Secretary Theresa Villiers of the environment, food and rural affairs also calls it a step in the right direction.
Lizz Trus, the British secretary of foreign trade, is also satisfied. "It's good news that meat products can now be sold to one of the largest meat importers in the world. Not only is it good for the UK economy, it also creates local jobs." The secretary also stated that, once Britain is no longer part of the European Union, there will be more trade agreements with countries outside Europe.
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