A&T Study to Help U.S. Export Pork to China

For Immediate Release
August 28, 2001

Greensboro, NC: The potential of a lucrative export market in China for United States pork is driving a new study at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

“China accounts for approximately half of the world’s pork consumption,” says Dr. Xiang Dong Qin, director of the study and an assistant professor of A&T’s Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education, working with the International Trade Center. “Under rules agreed to during negotiations with the World Trade Organization, China essentially opened its doors to American products. That holds tremendous potential for the pork producers of North Carolina and the rest of the United States.”

According to Qin, the Chinese market is especially attractive to American farmers because the Chinese place great value on pork products, such as organs, feet and other variety meats not typically desired by U.S. consumers.

“Because Chinese people want these products, which are often considered waste in the United States, we can add value to existing animal carcasses without increasing muscle meat prices for the U.S. consumer,” said Qin who points to a study which indicates that exporting pork to China has the potential to increase prices farmers receive per hog by $5.

However, exporting to China isn’t as easy as vacuum-sealing a pork loin and mailing it, said Qin. As American companies begin exporting to China, Qin expects that they will encounter a number of obstacles, and the A&T study is structured to identify those challenges and possible solutions to them.

The study will focus on China’s meat marketing and distribution chain, documenting the agencies involved and the governing policies and rules. To do this, Qin and other researchers from A&T’s International Trade Center will work with researchers from China’s Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU) on focus group sessions and other components of the project.

“It’s extremely important for us to work closely with Chinese researchers living in the country,” says Qin. “We have successfully collaborated with NAU researchers on previous studies, and they have provided insights and access to information that wouldn’t be possible working solely from the United States.”

The study will begin with a literature review, followed by focus group sessions in Nanjing, Beijing, Shanghai and GuangZhou. With data gleaned from the focus groups and literature review, the researchers will document their findings in publications and through a seminar designed for pork producers and others potentially involved in the pork export market.

“The legislation opening this market is only part of the puzzle,” said Qin. “U.S. pork producers will also have to know how to sell their product to the Chinese. Once that happens, U.S. pork producers will find increased profits and the Chinese will move toward solving their some of their food supply problems.”

- 30 -

For more information, please contact Dr. Xiang Dong Qin, NC A&T State University, (336) 334-7694.