UK in landmark £50m pork deal with China

The UK has agreed a £50m trade deal to sell British pork to China, the world's biggest market for pig meat.

Much of the pork will be in the form of parts that are popular in China but not with British diners, such as offal and trotters.

"China is the most lucrative grocery market in the world," said Agriculture Minister Jim Paice.

The deal comes after five years of talks, and negotiations over lamb and beef exports may soon follow.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) recently published a food exports action plan to help the UK's farming, food and drink industry take advantage of China, now the world's second-biggest economy.

"From fashion to food its rapidly expanding middle class has an appetite for Western goods," said Mr Paice, who is in China on a trade mission.

"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."

'Most popular meat'

Chinese consumption of meat is increasing rapidly, yet Chinese supply cannot meet the demand of a rapidly-growing nation that is already the world's most populous.

And the Chinese enjoy eating parts of the so-called fifth quarter of the pig, which goes to waste in the UK and would provide additional revenue for British farmers.

"This is a wonderful achievement and something we have been working towards for several years in close co-operation with Defra and the British embassy in Beijing," said British Pig Executive chairman Stewart Houston.

"Pork is the most popular meat in China and some of the cuts which are less popular here command a premium over there."