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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, November 25, 2001

Chinese Animal Products Ready for World Market

Chinese people ate as much beef as they had done before this year, regardless the danger of "mad cow disease" which has been sweeping the Europe and even hitting Japan. Although home-made animal products remain strong in domestic consumers' confidence, they have long been confronted with difficulties as exports. China produces about 60 million tons of meat every year, the largest output in the world, but only one percent is exported overseas, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.


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Chinese people ate as much beef as they had done before this year, regardless the danger of "mad cow disease" which has been sweeping the Europe and even hitting Japan. Although home-made animal products remain strong in domestic consumers' confidence, they have long been confronted with difficulties as exports. China produces about 60 million tons of meat every year, the largest output in the world, but only one percent is exported overseas, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The ministry said that this is because animal disease quarantine and prevention standards in China do not match international rules. "The world market lacks confidence in Chinese animal products," said Liu Zhanjiang, a ministry official in charge of animal products. "However, our products are competitive concerning taste and price." China has taken its first step to win export confidence.

The ministry announced Tuesday that it will construct five animal disease-free zones by 2002, and has vowed to protect these areas from foot and mouth disease, swine fever and bird flu. This is a major effort China is making to meet the criteria for prevention of animal diseases set by the Office International Des Epizooties (OIE) and World Trade Organization (WTO), said Vice Minister of Agriculture Qi Jingfa at the press conference Tuesday.

A prevention, quarantine and monitoring framework for animal diseases will be developed strictly according to OIE standards, Qi said.

"We would like to show that China's animal products can be as safe as the world market requires," said Liu Zhanjiang.

The five zones will not be allowed to accept any animal from outside, except those used for breeding, Liu added.

The government has started trial work for building disease-free areas in 670 counties in 23 provinces since 1998, according to Liu.

The five zones are located in south China's Hainan Province, east China's Shandong Province, northeast China's Liaoning and Jilin provinces, southwest China's Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality. Most of them are geographically isolated, so that animal diseases will be easy to keep at bay.

The ministry will examine the five zones at the end of 2002, and recognize those that pass the check as disease-free ones. "We welcome other countries and international organizations to come and check them too," said Liu.

Insiders note that the government is eager to expand this particular overseas market, as foreign animal products will have easier access to the domestic market now that China has joined the WTO, and competition will be tense.

The present meat supply in Chinese cities has already met the demand, and in rural areas the consumption of meat can only expand with the increase of living standards. So China has to explore a wider market outside the country, experts noted.




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