Why British pigs are flying to China

video transcript

Metre for metre, there's more space in these wooden pallets than the average economy class seat. But these are no ordinary air passengers. They're British pigs, and this is a rare chance to fly. On chartered jets, more than a thousand pigs have left Britain this year for a special mission to China. These swine are not heading straight for the stir fry -- they've got breeding to do. Chirs Jackson is export director of the British Pig Association. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRIS JACKSON, EXPORT DIRECTOR, BRITISH PIG ASSOCIATION, SAYING: "In China for instance, the average number of piglets reared per sow per year is still only 14. With our better genetics in the United Kingdom, we're looking at 30 -- 28 to 30 -- pigs reared per sow per year. Now, Chinese industry, backed by their government, realise that they need to significantly improve their performance." This new demand is on track to turn 2011 into the Year of the Pig for British farmers. Over the last decade, disease and export restrictions slashed a once 30 million pound industry by more than 80 percent. But now, as part of a new livestock agreement, more than 4000 pigs from across the UK will be living in China by Christmas. John Millard runs breeding farm JJ Genetics. It's early days but exports to China are already 10 percent of his business -- and he's looking to boost that even further. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOHN MILLARD, J J GENETICS, SAYING: "The Chinese pig industry is going through a revolution in improving the efficiency of it. For the pig breeders like myself, it has terrific potential becasue we will all of us probably get a share of that market providing we come up with goods that they require." The UK Government hopes the deal with CHina will be worth 45 million pounds over five years. And if all goes according to plan, the future could look more sweet than sour for British pig farmers. Ruairidh Villar, Reuters

Oct. 14 - As part of a new trade agreement between the UK and China, Britain is now exporting live pigs to China, where they'll be bred. Ruairidh Villar reports.?( Transcript )

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/USVideoBusiness/~3/ED_PJvQjXdA/why-british-pigs-are-flying-to-china

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