Where do 120000 tons of imported pork go every year? You can eat rice with feet, large intestine, pork chops, dumplings and meat buns.

2 sharing

(by upstream and downstream reporters Yang Yuyun and Lin Yijun)

The government will open up imports of American Lai pigs (using lean pork) from New Year's Day next year, sparking a backlash from pig farmers and consumers. Although the government says that imported pigs do not taste as good as Taiwan pigs, they are not worried about competition, and will require clear markings to protect the public's right to know. However, at a time when Lai Pig has not yet entered the customs, Taiwan imports nearly 120000 tons of pork (including sundries) every year to make products such as leg rice, Lu large intestine, dumplings and meat buns, which are difficult for most Chinese to tell.

What kind of food will American Lai pig be used after it is imported in the future? The Government says that even snack stalls and night markets will mark the meat sources of pork products in the future. is it feasible in reality?. "upstream and downstream" interviewed frozen meat and imported meat industry index figures, domestic pig industry personnel to conduct in-depth explanation and analysis. At the request of the interviewees, some of this article uses aliases.

Imported pork may appear in all kinds of pork chops, foodstuffs and other foods. (photo / Yang Yuyun) Taiwan imports about 120000 tons of frozen pork annually, ranking first in the scapular ridge of the hind leg and second in the pig's foot.

According to the statistics of the Council of Agriculture, the annual consumption of pork in China is 900,000 metric tons, and the import of pork in 2019 is about 110000 8060 metric tons, including 90,000 metric tons of frozen pork and more than 20,000 metric tons of offal (large intestine head, hoof bladder).

Statistics show that imported pork is rising year by year, nearly doubling since 2010, with the largest proportion of "frozen boneless pig hind leg meat, shoulder blade meat, waist meat, big fillet and its cut meat". In 2019, the import volume was 52049 metric tons, this kind of meat can be made into pork chops, minced meat, shredded meat, and can also be used for the production of meat soup, dumplings, meat buns and so on.

The second place is "frozen pig feet (including front and rear leg hooves and tendon meat) and diaphragm, with an import volume of 19,000 tonnes, which can be used for braised hooves, feet, rice and other foods.

! function {var n = "InfogramEmbeds", o=e.getElementsByTagName ("script"), dazzo [0], else if / ^ e.location (e.location)? "http:": "https:"; if (/ ^\ / {2} / .test (I) & (i=r+i), process&& [n] & & process&& [n] .process (); else if (! e.getElementById (s)) {var a=e.createElement ("script") (document,0, "infogram-async", "/ / e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js")} (function) {var n = "InfogramEmbeds", o=e.getElementsByTagName ("script"), dazzo [0], http / ^ test (e.location)? "http:": "https:" If (/ ^\\ / {2} / .test (I) & & (i=r+i), process&& [n] .initialized) window [n] .window [n] .process (); else if (! e.getElementById (s)) {var a=e.createElement ("script"); a.asynced1parentNode.insertBefore} (document,0, "infogram-async", "/ / e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js") The price of imported pork is more than 30% lower than that of domestic pork, and the price of Mei pig's hind leg meat is even lower.

The top three major importers of frozen pork (including offal) in China are Canada, the United States and Spain. Among them, the average import price of Canadian frozen pork (excluding offal) is 61.28 yuan per kilogram (among which the largest import parts are hind leg meat, waist meat, shoulder blades, tenderloin meat and so on. China's tariff does not distinguish parts, the price is a comprehensive calculation).

However, according to information provided by the domestic pig industry, the wholesale price of hindleg meat in Taiwan is about 110 yuan per kilogram, 100 yuan in the waist, and 140 yuan in the meat, which is nearly 30% to 40% less than that of imports (pork prices fluctuate with the season).

The import price of American pigs was 78 yuan per kilogram last year. However, according to the pork price announced by the United States Department of Agriculture, the price is 62.87 yuan per kilogram from Taiwan to Hong Kong (including tariff freight), and the price of hind leg meat (hams, excluding muscle) is even lower. The lower price is only about 35 Taiwan dollars per kilogram (including tariff freight), if the high price is about 50 yuan per kilogram. The price gap between Taiwan and Taiwan is as high as more than 50%.

! function {var n = "InfogramEmbeds", o=e.getElementsByTagName ("script"), dazzo [0], else if / ^ e.location (e.location)? "http:": "https:"; if (/ ^\ / {2} / .test (I) & (i=r+i), process&& [n] & & process&& [n] .process (); else if (! e.getElementById (s)) {var a=e.createElement ("script") (document,0, "infogram-async", "/ / e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js"); imported pork is cooked with large intestine head and pig feet, but the internal organs do not have to worry.

Mr. Chen (a pseudonym), a meat importer, said that Taiwan's market is very shallow, and imports only make up for Taiwan's shortage of supply. Pork as futures, the pull of demand and supply will cause price fluctuations. "the principle of our import is very simple, depending on whether there is domestic demand and whether imports are cheap." He takes the hind legs and hooves of pigs as an example, imported hind legs of pigs are made into leg storehouse rice, and imported hooves are one of the faces that are cooked during the Spring Festival. "the imported hooves are 3 or 40 yuan lower than those made in China." He said.

Take the viscera that people are worried about as an example. Mr. Chen says that Taiwan currently produces more than 1000 pig livers and kidneys every year. "if you can sell it for 1000, the butcher will be very happy, and the rest will be used as fish feed." Therefore, people do not have to worry that after New Year's Day next year, pig liver and kidney will blend into the consumer market.

The proportion of imported pigs used in stewed pig feet is higher. (photography / Yang Yuyun)

However, ─, a Taiwanese delicacy often eaten by Chinese people, has always been a major import of large intestine and pig feet. The large intestine head (pig's rectum) has a wide range of uses, from spicy pot, black and white cut, noodles to gravy, as well as the well-known "nine-turn fat intestine". It imported more than 6,000 metric tons last year alone. In addition, according to domestic demand, manufacturers occasionally import Ganlian (pig diaphragm).

Yuan Renqi, secretary-general of the ROC Livestock and Meat Trade Association, confirmed that road restaurants that generally serve group meals often use low-cost ingredients, and imported pig feet are one of the options. For consumers, the common pig feet and large intestine heads in the market are likely to be the parts of imported pigs.