China OKs Some US Meat Plants

WASHINGTON (DTN) -- China will resume importing pork and poultry from additional U.S. plants that do not use the growth-promoting drug ractopamine, the Agriculture Department confirmed Thursday night.

"Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reached agreement with Chinese officials to resume pork export opportunities for six processing and eight cold-storage facilities," a USDA spokesperson said in an email.

"U.S. facilities participating in one of USDA's ractopamine control programs, either the 'Never Fed Beta Agonist' program or the ractopamine-free program, will resume exports shortly. This will allow a greater share of U.S. pork and product exports to China in the coming months. U.S. pork exports to China were valued at more than $474 million in 2014. China is the world's top consumer of pork, and China imports more pork than any other country."

The spokesperson continued, "China's recognition of strong regulatory controls and the high quality of U.S. pork is a positive step in the relationship we are forging with China to bring mutually beneficial food and agricultural trade to Americans and Chinese alike. This renewed access for American exports is the culmination of years of hard work by USDA staff and will mean a significant boost in sales for American pork producers."

A USDA fact sheet lists these pork and poultry plants as being reinstated to export to China:

1. Smithfield Packing Co., Tarheel, North Carolina.

2. Clemens Food Group (formerly Hatfield Quality Meats), hatfield, Pennsylvania.

3. Tyson Foods Inc., Nashville, Arkansas.

4. Equity Group-KY Division, LLC, Albany, Kentucky.

5. Mountaire Farms of Delmarva, Selbyville, Delaware.

6. Sanderson Farms, Kinston, Kinston, North Carolina.

7. Farmland Foods, Inc., Monmouth, Illinois.

8. Swift Pork company, Louisville, Kentucky.

The fact sheet states that all federally inspected establishments are eligible for export to China, except for 32 specific plants identified below:

Indiana Packers Corp., Delphi, Indiana; Meadowbrook Farms Cooperative, Rantoul, Illinois; John Morrell & Co., Sioux City, Iowa; Equity Group Georgia Division, Camilla, Georgia; Koch Foods of Mississippi LLC, Morton, Mississippi; Columbia Farms, Greenville, South Carolina; Pilgrim's Corporation, Athens, Georgia; Michigan Turkey Producers, LLC, Wyoming, Michigan; Koch Foods, LLC, Morristown, Tennessee; Koch Foods, LLC, Chattanooga, Tennessee; NOCS South Atlantic, North Charleston, South Carolina; Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales, LLC, Willmar, Minnesota; Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., Columbus Jct., Iowa; Swift Pork Company, Marshalltown, Iowa; Cloverleaf Cold Storage, Sioux City, Iowa; Premium Iowa Pork, Hospers, Iowa; Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., Waterloo, Iowa; Transcontinental Cold Storage, Sioux City, Iowa; Seaboard Foods, Guymon, Oklahoma; Quality Pork Processors, Inc., Austin, Minnesota; Cloverleaf Cold Storage of Fairmont, Fairmont, Minnesota; Frozen Assets Cold Storage, Chicago, Illinois; Triumph Foods, St. Joseph, Missouri; Nor-Am Cold Storage, Inc, St. Joseph, Missouri; Millard Refrigerated Services, Edwardsville, Kansas; Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc, Perry, Iowa; Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc, Logansport, Indiana; Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc, Storm Lake, Iowa; Hanson Cold Storage Co., Logansport, Indiana; Hormel Foods Corp., Fremont, Nebraska; Americold Logistics LLC, Fremont, Nebraska; Fulton Market Cold Storage, Lyons, Illinois.

(CZ/AG)

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