Meaty Business
Chinese pork will soon be making its way to the South African marketChinese meat lovers will soon be able to enjoy the tenderness and flavor of South African beef. On February 24, a series of cooperation documents in the field of animal inspection and quarantine were signed between China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).
The documents, which were signed in South Africa in the presence South African President Jacob Zuma, include a memorandum of understanding on entry and exit animal quarantine between the two countries, as well as a protocol on the sanitary requirements applicable to frozen beef products to be exported from South Africa to China. As per the agreements, South Africa will annually export 20,000 tons of beef to China over the next 10 years, becoming the first African country to export beef to China.
Upon hearing the good news, Xiao Jun, a young Chinese businessman from southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, smelled a good opportunity in the meat business. “The signing of these agreements is a historic moment for me,” he said, adding that this breakthrough will help him realize his long-held dream: introducing South African meat to his home country.
A principled businessman
While most young people of his age were just entering the work market, 31-year-old Xiao decided on another path: he headed to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he established his own company called Four Oceans Import and Export Co. His gamble has now paid off, as he is now the president of a well-established and successful business in South Africa.
Founded in 2011, Xiao’s company is mainly engaged in the import and export business of frozen food. Currently, it has around 100 employees and enjoys an excellent reputation in the industry.
Yet success never comes easy. When Xiao first came to South Africa in 2010, he encountered countless difficulties. “At the beginning, we had no coopera-tion partners and there was no one we could turn to for help,” he said. “I searched for contact information of local slaughterhouses in the yellow pages, and I contacted them one by one,” he recalled.
His hard work finally paid off. The young man managed to find a number of reliable and high-quality meat producers, among which is Winelands Pork Pty. Ltd., the second biggest pig slaughterhouse in South Africa. Xiao has maintained good cooperation with this company ever since.
Henry Shaw, Operations Manager at Winelands, once described Xiao’s company as one of their most reliable and friendly partners. Xiao believes it was integrity and honesty that won the trust of his partner.
Before starting his business in South Africa, Xiao spent two years in the seafood business in Iran. During that time, he accumulated rich experiences in doing trade business, and realized the importance of being honest for winning and retaining clients and partners alike.
“Integrity and honesty are the foundation of doing business,” Xiao told ChinAfrica. “It is these principles that have made my startup business in South Africa so successful,” he added.
Creating new opportunities
After arriving in South Africa, Xiao found that the local pork provided by Winelands was inferior in quality and taste to the one from his hometown Rongchang District of Chongqing.
“I grew up eating pork from Rongchang, where I was born. The pigs raised there are both white and strong, and their meat is tasty,” said Xiao. “On the other hand, South African pigs are bred according to criteria set by Europeans, with a lean meat rate of 70 percent. Moreover, their meat has a rather rancid taste.”
That is when Xiao came up with the idea of introducing the Rongchang pig breed and breeding techniques to South Africa. He brought some of the frozen pork from his hometown to South Africa and cooked it for the top executives of Winelands. It took them just a few bites to be convinced.
Wanting to know more about Rongchang pork, they even traveled to Xiao’s hometown to visit local pig farms, during which they got to know the scale of pig breeding and pork processing methods.
After the trip, Winelands proposed to cooperate with Xiao to set up their Asian branch office. Their aim was to introduce the Rongchang pig breed to South Africa and raise pigs in accordance with the Chinese standard.
“Winelands needs technical support from my native region and they are optimistic about the promising market prospect of the Rongchang pork,” Xiao told ChinAfrica.
However, South Africa has very strict regulations on the introduction of new pig breeds. Xiao’s company is now working closely with the relevant branch under South Africa’s DAFF to facilitate the process.
In the meantime, Four Oceans Import and Export Co. has signed an agreement with Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences (CAAS) in 2016. According to the agreement, the academy will provide technical support to Xiao’s company and assist the introduction of the Rongchang pig breed to South Africa.
Xiao estimates it will take five to six years to achieve large-scale promotion and market cultivation of a new pig breed. But the idea of giving up has never crossed his mind, because this project will not only bring him career achievements, but also realize his childhood dream.
“I was born and raised in Rongchang, and we are proud of the Rongchang pig. I happen to be in this business, so I hope that our pig and my hometown will be known throughout the world,” he told ChinAfrica.
Exporting back home
In addition to introducing the Rongchang pork to South Africa, the agreement between Xiao’s company and CAAS also covers importing South African beef to China. According to Liu Zuohua, head of CAAS, the annual unsatisfied demand for beef in Chongqing alone amounts to 500,000 tons.
Xiao has had his eyes on South African beef for a long time. “Many people know the Australian beef is good, but in fact, South African beef is internationally recognized as high-quality beef,” he said. “The South African beef cattle are raised in free-range farms, so the beef is tender, delicate and nutrient-rich,” he explained.
Therefore, exporting high-quality South African beef to his hometown has always been high on his company’s agenda. Hearing the news that China and South Africa signed an agreement allowing the export of frozen beef products this February, he was extremely excited.
“One of my aspirations is that one day, South Africans can taste our Rongchang pork, while my people can enjoy South African beef,” he said.
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I was born and raised in Rongchang, and we are proud of the Rongchang pig. I happen to be in this business, so I hope that my hometown and our pig will be known throughout the world.
Xiao Jun, President of Four Oceans Import and Export Co.