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Where did nearly 120,000 tons of imported pork go? Pork knuckle rice, braised pork intestines, pork ribs, dumplings, meat buns - all edible

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Where does nearly 120,000 tons of imported pork go? Pork knuckle rice, braised pork intestines, pork ribs, dumplings, meat buns - you can find it in all of them

Text by Yang Yuyun and Lin Yijun, reporters for Upstream and Downstream

The government will open imports of American ractopamine pork (pork produced with leanness-enhancing feed additives) starting New Year's Day next year, triggering backlash from pig farmers and consumers. Although the government says imported pork does not taste as good as Taiwanese pork and that it is not worried about competition, and will require clear labeling to protect the public's right to know. However, before ractopamine pork even enters the country, Taiwan already imports nearly 120,000 tons of pork (including offal) each year, which is made into products such as pork knuckle rice, braised pork intestines, dumplings, and meat buns, and most people in the country find it hard to tell the difference.

After American ractopamine pork is imported in the future, what foods might it be used in? The government says that in the future even street food stalls and night markets will have to label the meat source of pork products. Is this realistically feasible? Upstream and Downstream interviewed key figures in the frozen meat and imported meat industry as well as people in the domestic pig industry to provide in-depth explanation and analysis. At the request of interviewees, some pseudonyms are used in this article.

Imported pork may appear in all kinds of pork chops, pork knuckle rice, and other foods. (Photo by Yang Yuyun)

Taiwan imports about 120,000 tons of frozen pork annually; hind leg, shoulder, and tenderloin rank first, pig feet second

According to statistics from the Council of Agriculture, domestic annual pork consumption is 900,000 metric tons. In 2019, about 118,060 metric tons of pork were imported, of which about 90,000 metric tons were frozen pork, and more than 20,000 metric tons were offal (large intestine ends, pork hocks), etc.

Statistics show that imported pork has been rising year by year, nearly doubling since 2010. The largest category by share is "frozen boneless pork hind leg meat, shoulder meat, loin meat, large tenderloin and cuts thereof," with imports of 52,049 metric tons in 2019. You Jinke, chairman of the Changhua County Pig Farming Association, explained that the largest use of imported meat is processed meat products, including dumplings, wontons, meat buns, and others made by food factories. Loin meat, tenderloin, and similar cuts can be used in dishes such as pork chops.

The second largest category is "frozen pig feet (including front and hind leg hocks and shank meat) and diaphragm," with imports of 19,000 metric tons, which can be used for braised pork hocks, pork knuckle rice, and various other foods.

The average price of imported pork is low, and the price of American pork hind leg meat is shockingly low

Our country's top three sources of frozen pork imports (including offal) 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 (the largest imported cuts are hind leg meat, loin meat, shoulder, tenderloin, and other cuts; our country's tariffs do not distinguish by cut, so the price is calculated on a combined basis).

However, according to information provided by the domestic pig farming industry, Taiwan's current bulk wholesale price for hind leg meat is about 110 yuan per kilogram, loin meat is 100 yuan, and tenderloin is 140 yuan, a price gap of nearly 30 to 40 percent compared with imports (pork prices fluctuate with the seasons).

The import price of American pork last year was 78 yuan per kilogram, which at first glance does not seem low. However, because our country's tariffs compile hind leg meat, loin meat, shoulder, tenderloin, and other cuts with different prices into a combined statistic, it is impossible to confirm which cuts most imported American pork currently consists of. But according to pork prices published by the United States Department of Agriculture, converted to the price upon arrival in Taiwan (including freight and tariffs), the average price is only 62.87 yuan per kilogram.

In addition, American pork is quoted in four cuts, including Loins, Bellies, Hams (hind leg meat), and Trimmings (trimmed meat with 72% fat content). Prices for each cut vary greatly, and hind leg meat is the lowest among them. If calculated at the lower price point, the price upon arrival in Taiwan would be only 35 yuan per kilogram (including tariffs and freight). If calculated at the higher price point, the duty-paid price upon arrival in Taiwan would be at most 50 yuan per kilogram. Compared with Taiwan's hind leg meat price (bulk wholesale price) of 110-120 yuan per kilogram, the gap is astonishing.

Hind leg meat has little fat and is mostly used for processing. It can be made into ground meat, shredded meat, meat thick soup, dumplings, meat buns, and more. If large quantities of American pork are exported to Taiwan in the future, close attention must be paid to the import volume and distribution channels of hind leg meat.

Imported pork is used for large intestine ends and pig feet dishes; internal organs, by contrast, are not a concern

Mr. Chen (pseudonym), a meat importer, said Taiwan's market is very shallow, and imports only supplement insufficient supply in Taiwan. Pork, as a futures commodity, naturally sees price fluctuations from the push and pull of demand and supply. "Our import principle is very simple: we just look at whether there is domestic demand and whether imports are cheap." Taking pork hind legs and pork hocks as examples, imported pork hind legs are made into pork knuckle rice, and imported pork hocks are even one of the familiar dishes for Lunar New Year meals. "Imported pork hocks are 30 or 40 yuan lower per kilogram than domestic ones," he said.

Taking internal organs, which people in the country worry about, as an example, Mr. Chen said Taiwan's currently domestically produced pig liver and pig kidney (kidney) are in surplus year after year. "If 300 sets out of 1,000 can be sold, meat vendors are already very happy; the rest all go to become fish feed." Therefore, people in the country do not need to worry that after New Year's Day next year, pig liver and pig kidney will be mixed into the consumer market.

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