The dream of opening the Chinese market to British pig meat has moved a step closer to reality with technical agreement on a protocol covering the export trade.

© www.bpex.org.uk

The agreement is the result of a great deal of hard work by Defra, the Foreign Office, the British Pig Executive and the industry.

It came about as the result of the visit by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to China on January 18, 2008.

BPEX Chief Executive Mick Sloyan said: "This is an important further step towards establishing trade with China and we are looking forward to making further progress in the near future.

"Next steps will be formal recognition that Britain is free of FMD and this will be followed in the coming months by an inspection mission by the Chinese Quarantine authorities and the authorisation of individual abattoirs and processing plants.

"China is the world's largest producer and consumer of pork. It also has strong demand for parts of the pig less favoured in Europe.

"China presents an excellent opportunity to add extra value to the English pig industry, which is much needed given the ongoing high price of feed."

The Defra statement reads: Technical agreement was reached on Friday 18th January on a Pig Meat Protocol covering the export trade in pork and pork products between the UK and China.

The UK and China have had no previous official agreement on bilateral trade in pig meat products. The proposed Protocol will be formally signed by both parties once the UK has been declared officially free of Foot and Mouth disease by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and China has lifted its ban on exports from the UK of foot and mouth disease susceptible animals and animal products.

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