The UK has signed a new export deal with China to supply pork products.
Food manufacturers are set to benefit from the £200m export deal, which will support 1,500 jobs in the pork industry, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The new deal gives market access to seven businesses from five sites in Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, County Antrim and County Tyrone. The deal marks the first time that pork products have been exported from Northern Ireland to China and will provide an estimated £10m boost to the local pork industry.
All of the plants were inspected by China's Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) technical experts in April 2015, with a team of inspectors from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (AQSIQ) also visiting Northern Ireland in April 2015.
Nine UK producers already export pork to China, generating £43m in sales last year. Demand for UK pork has doubled in terms of value over the last three years.
This export agreement follows the UK's £34m deal with the Philippines, which will see UK beef shipped to the country for the first time in more than 20 years.
DEFRA minister of state George Eustice commented: "China is a hugely important market for our world-class food industry and by opening up access even further, more UK businesses can take advantage of the growing appetite for our food and drink.
"British food is produced to the very best standards of welfare, quality and safety and this growth in exports to China is creating more jobs and opportunities for our premium pork producers who can guarantee quality from farm to fork."
