Changsha, September 08, 2024, The Europe Today: On Sunday, a significant milestone was achieved in the realm of international trade as Changsha Customs, located in central China’s Hunan Province, cleared a shipment of mutton from Madagascar. This marks the inaugural import of mutton from Africa to China, representing a major advancement in the China-Africa meat trade.
The shipment, which consisted of 1,000 kilograms of frozen mutton, was subjected to a thorough on-site inspection by customs officials. The mutton was transported by air from Madagascar to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangdong Province, and subsequently delivered to Changsha by road. The entire transit process took approximately 36 hours.
This Madagascan mutton will be distributed to various restaurants and supermarkets throughout Hunan Province, a prominent Chinese region known for its robust economic and trade relations with Africa. Hunan is recognized as a pioneer in fostering China-Africa cooperation.
The mutton was produced by a Madagascar-based animal husbandry firm, which has been established with investment from Hunan’s Yuan’s High-tech Seed Co., Ltd. This company, renowned for its export of hybrid rice seeds to Africa, is now playing a key role in the importation of Madagascan mutton. Yuan Ding’an, Chairman of Yuan’s High-tech Seed Co., Ltd., highlighted that Madagascan mutton offers both quality and cost advantages in the Chinese market. The company has set an ambitious goal to export 20,000 tonnes of mutton annually from Madagascar to China within the next three to five years.
The Madagascan company has developed a comprehensive industrial chain encompassing sheep breeding and mutton processing. It is also actively engaged in advancing new tropical forage varieties.
The mutton trade agreement between China and Madagascar was formalized during the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo held in Changsha last year. Following this agreement, Changsha Customs established a specialized task force to assist Madagascan meat producers with quality management and compliance with official procedures.
In the first seven months of this year, Hunan Province imported African agricultural products worth approximately 240 million yuan (about 33.9 million U.S. dollars), marking a 10.6 percent increase from the previous year. Beyond the Madagascan mutton, Changsha Customs has also facilitated the issuance of market access certificates for 24 batches of African food exports to China. These include wild aquatic products from Kenya and Tanzania, cashews from Guinea-Bissau, dried chili peppers from Rwanda, and dried anchovies from Kenya.
This development underscores the growing and diversified trade links between China and Africa, reflecting both regions’ commitment to enhancing their economic cooperation.
