ROMANIA – China has confirmed two large orders of #pigs and #cattle from #Romania to satisfy #meat demand, adding that whatever Romania can deliver, it can #buy. Officials signed two agreements for the import of 500,000 #cattle and 3 million #pigs ‘over the coming years’, said the South China Morning Post. Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang said other #meats, particularly #sheep, would also be in demand.

1. ROMANIA – China has confirmed two large orders
of #pigs and #cattle from #Romania to satisfy #meat demand, adding that whatever
Romania can deliver, it can #buy.
Officials signed two agreements for the import of 500,000 #cattle and 3 million
#pigs ‘over the coming years’, said the South China Morning Post.
Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang said other #meats, particularly #sheep, would also be in
demand.
Romanian #livestock #breeder, DumitruGrigoean was clear that this was good news.
“It would be a pity to miss the opportunity," said MrGrigorean. "Of course I'd earn a
lot more if I made computer tablets like the Chinese do, but I'm only good at #raising
#cattle," he told the South China Morning Post.
He said several members of the #cattle breeder association, running 2,000 cattle each,
had signed up to sell to China.
But, Food Industry trade union leader, DragosFrumosu, said Romania’s herd could
not keep up with Chinese needs. Government figures show that cattle numbers have
halved to 1.2 million after being at 2.8 million in 2001.
MrFrumosu suggested a solution would be to set up ‘joint farms’ with Chinese capital
or expand smaller farms with European Union funds.
Currently, most of Romania’s meat exports go to Arab countries, although it imports
half its #pork and 70 per cent of #beef.

2. Shuanghui International's recent takeover of Smithfield Foods in the United States,
which owns a pork producer near Timisoara in western Romania, will partly solve
the #pork exports issue.