Beijing to open up beef market to UK, Germany

Bloomberg

Cattle farmers in Britain and Germany are among the latest winners from a shortage of meat in China.
The UK and China reached a deal to allow British beef to be sold to the Asian country by year-end.
That marks the first potential shipments since the 1990s, when British beef was banned amid an outbreak of mad cow disease. Germany also said that Chinese officials have pledged to speed up procedures for opening up beef trade.
China is working to broaden its sources of meat as African swine fever spreads through its herds, slashing meat supplies in the world’s top consumer.
“The Chinese market is going to be really important going forward,” and the opportunity for beef is rising amid the disease outbreak, said Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association.
“It will take time to filter through. There’s a long way to go yet before stuff starts to go.”
The UK beef deal is valued at 230 million pounds ($289 million) over the next five years, though some approvals are still required from China’s customs department, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement.
China also recently approved five British meat plants for export, with more possible by the end of the year, according to the agency.
Germany’s agriculture ministry said that China has agreed on steps to ensure exports remain possible if African swine fever spreads in Europe.