Thanks to China, the UK pig farming industry seems to be entering a prosperous period. According to data from the UK Food and Drink Federation, last year, exports to this world's largest pork-consuming country increased by 92%, leading to an 82% increase in total food exports to China, reaching £201 million. The index measuring the confidence of UK pork traders has recently risen, marking the first increase in three years.
China's demand for various parts of the pig is particularly good news for pig farmers. Terry Jones from the UK Food and Drink Federation stated: "In China, the demand for pork is very strong, and consumers enjoy some parts of the pig that we do not eat, such as whole pig heads and trotters."
From snout to tail, pork products are favorites among China's growing middle class. In fact, China's demand has helped the UK export of pig "by-products" in 2013 grow by about 18% compared to 2011, reaching 47,534 tons—this was achieved despite a decrease in exports to other major markets.
Meat products are part of the growing trade between the UK and China. The UK pig industry is set to experience another significant development. In December last year, an agreement was signed between the UK and China to allow the export of fresh and frozen pig semen to China for breeding sows. This deal is expected to generate £45 million annually for UK pig producers.
