Can Taiwan pigs really reach out to the whole world? Industry analysis: strict international standards, high cost of raising pigs, a long way to export

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Upstream and downstream reporters / Yang Yuyun, Lin Yijun

Can Taiwan pigs go abroad for foot-and-mouth disease? President Tsai ing-wen said at a press conference on August 28 that Taiwan's pork exports are very competitive, following Singapore and Macao's purchase of Taiwan pork, and the government will spare no effort to open up more markets and allow Taiwan pigs to reach out to the world.

However, the annual export volume of Taiwan pigs is only more than 1000 tons, while the imported pork is 120000 tons. What are the challenges for Taiwan pig to export in the future? Is it really "very competitive" as the Government has said? "upstream and downstream" interviewed a number of meat exporters and processors and combed through statistics and found that the facts may not be as optimistic as the government thought.

Foot-and-mouth disease blocks the export of Taiwan pigs, and the export volume has dropped from 190000 tons to more than 1,000 tons in the past 23 years.

According to the export trade statistics of the Council of Agriculture, before the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 1997, fresh pork, frozen pork and prepared pork (that is, processed pork products) were mainly exported to Japan, rising from 60,000 metric tons with a total value of more than US $300 million in 1989 (the earliest year of statistics) to 190000 7975 metric tons in 1996, with a total value of more than 1 billion US dollars. During this period, Taiwan pigs not only exported to Japan in large quantities, but also sporadically set foot in Hong Kong, South Korea, Vietnam, Russia and other countries.

However, the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on March 20, 1997 instantly blocked this smooth road of rising exports. in that year, the export of Taiwan pigs was only 49242 metric tons and US $240 million. For 23 years after that, Taiwan's fresh pork was not allowed in the international trade market (only 1 metric ton to Macau in 2009, 1 metric ton to Trinidad in 2016 and 2 metric tons to Macau in 2020). A small number of Taiwan pigs that go abroad are mainly frozen pork and processed pork products, but the sales amount is unbearable. The lowest point in exports occurred in 2007, with a total export weight of only 1631 metric tons, with a total value of less than US $7 million.

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According to the statistics of Singapore and Macao specifically mentioned by President Tsai ing-wen, in the past five years, the total value of Taiwan pig exports to these two places was only US $1 million, with a total of only more than 300 metric tons, while last year's total exports of Taiwan pigs to the world were only 1680 metric tons. Compared with the current 120000 tons of imported pork and the situation after the import of Lai Pig is reopened in the future, using the export of Taiwan pigs to compensate for the market swallowed by imported meat is as absurd as trying to fill a pond with a ladle of water.

Although Taiwan lists foot-and-mouth disease-free areas to revive exports, there is still a long way to go.

Because of the influence of foot-and-mouth disease, the export of Taiwan pigs has indeed endured a cold winter for decades. Finally, in June this year, Taiwan was listed as an "unvaccinated and epidemic-free area" by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and fresh pork could return to the international trade arena.

However, this year, global import and export trade was greatly disrupted by COVID-19. Not only was the border closed, but many of the quarantine agencies in charge of goods quarantine were also changed to "work from home." Chen Guoxun, chairman of Chia Yixiang, who is determined to return to the meat export market, said: "since June, the administrative process has been slow."

Chia Yixiang exported frozen meat to Singapore as early as 2007. At that time, Taiwan was qualified for "vaccination without outbreak" at the second level of quarantine and could export frozen pork. At that time, only Chia Yi-hsiang exported 237 metric tons of frozen pork to Xinguo, and another 883 metric tons the next year. But failed to pull the needle in 2009, Jia Yixiang had to bid farewell to the short-lived Singapore market. According to reason, after Taiwan ushered in the good news of "non-epidemic areas" this year, it should have hurriedly "revived its strength," but unexpectedly, the delay in administrative procedures made it impossible for Chia Yi-hsiang to make great progress.

Zhou Xiaomei, head of the Animal Quarantine Section of the Prevention and Quarantine Bureau, said that every country's quarantine regulations on imported goods will keep pace with the times. at present, we have replied to the export data that Singapore requires Taiwan to fill in, and after the paper work is complete, they will send people to Taiwan to check meat hygiene and other conditions on the spot. "because the ball is now in the hands of the other side," said Zhou Xiaomei, who is not sure when the next step in pork export will be taken.

This is just an example of Singapore. Whether complicated or simple, quarantine work in all countries needs to be breakthrough. after all, Taiwan has been bidding farewell to the international market for more than 20 years. Chen Guoxun said, "We have agreed that pig skin and pig blood should be sold in the Philippines and other internal organs should be sold in Vietnam." But when will it be released? He shrugged and said, "I'm foggy, too!"

Chen Guoxun, chairman of Jia Yixiang Meat products, said that the export of meat products is not easy, and there are still many things in Taiwan.