County in SW China's Chongqing develops thriving cured meat industry

Cured meat has become a calling card of Chengkou county in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

The techniques of making Chengkou cured meat, with a history stretching back over 2,500 years, was listed as an intangible cultural heritage, according to Dong Yifeng, head of the county.

Photo shows cured meat in Chengkou county, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

Chengkou cured meat is the only cured meat product designated as a time-honored brand in China, with a brand value reaching 690 million yuan (about $94.81 million).

Four years ago, the county strategically positioned the cured meat industry as a key driver of rural revitalization.

By adopting an innovative development model that integrates companies, collective economic organizations, and farmers, over 60 percent of households in the county are now involved in the cured meat industrial chain, expanding the income for each household by an average of more than 12,000 yuan. In 2023, the number of pigs ready for slaughter in the county reached 197,000, up 29.8 percent year on year.

Photo shows pork to be processed into cured meat in Chengkou county, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

The pigs used for Chengkou's cured meat are carefully selected, with specific requirements not just limited to the variety of pigs, but also for the altitude where they are raised and rearing methods.

The quality of Chengkou cured meat is graded into three levels, catering to diverse consumer preferences.

Traditionally, cured meat production was constrained by seasonal limitations. However, the smart workshop of Chongqing Meizhuimei Food Co., Ltd. located in Chengkou county has revolutionized the production of cured meat.

Workers take down cured meat in Chengkou county, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

"We can now produce cured meat products year-round," says Wang Juncheng, deputy general manager of the company, adding that the company's intelligent equipment has increased production efficiency by 50 percent while reducing both production and management costs and maintaining quality.

The annual output of Chengkou cured meat has surged from 3,500 tonnes four years ago to 12,000 tonnes, with the annual output value of the industry jumping from 350 million yuan to 1.2 billion yuan. The output value of the entire cured meat industrial chain in the county exceeds 3 billion yuan.

Photo shows smart equipment for making cured meat in Chongqing Meizhuimei Food Co., Ltd. in Chengkou county, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

So far, Chengkou's cured meat products have reached nearly 30 provincial regions in China and over 10 countries and regions around the world.