By the end of 2019, the Chinese market will provide a green light for five British pig enterprises.

China has given preliminary permission to two British meat processing plants and three refrigerated warehouses for exporting pork to Britain. The permit must still be approved at the highest level, but enterprises are recommended to be ready by the end of the year.

A statement by the British Export Certification Partnership (UKECP), which helps facilitate the export of pork to China, said it is awaiting official confirmation of five additional approvals “in the near future”.

Speaking at a meeting of the National Pig Association (NPA) producer group earlier this week, British Pig Association Executive Director Marcus Bates said the anticipated expedited approval is “great news” for the UK pork industry.

Marcus Bates also suggested that if everything goes according to plan from now on, this should mean an increase in pork supplies to China by the end of this year.

At present, China urgently needs to import meat to fill the huge gap that has arisen as a result of the devastating outbreak of African swine fever.