Uingereza kuuza China mbegu za kiume za nguruwe

David Cameron with Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang during his trade visit

The first major breakthrough of David Cameron’s trade visit to China has been announced – a deal to send the country £45million worth of pig semen.

The deal came to light as the prime minister called time on his three-day trip, described as the biggest ever British trade delegation to China, and follows a similar agreement last year on the export of live pigs.

The industry has been lobbying for the inclusion of semen on the grounds that the Chinese pork producers they deal with prefer to source it from the same country where they obtain sows for breeding.

British pig semen – heading to China

Four artificial insemination centres operated by some of the world’s biggest pig breeding companies in England and Northern Ireland are expected to start exporting fresh and frozen semen early in the new year.

Half the world’s pigs are in China, and improving pig genetics is seen as a key requirement for the country as pig meat is one of their main sources of protein.

China wants to increase the efficiency of its production, whilst minimising the environmental impact.

David Cameron said no country was more open to Chinese investment than Britain

‘We’re doing all we can to ensure that businesses up and down the country reap the rewards from our relationship with China. And that includes our pig farmers,’ a Downing Street spokesman said.

‘This new deal to export pig semen will be worth £45million to UK firms and means Britain’s best pigs will help sustain the largest pig population in the world.

Metro