China food processor begins production at pig meat facilities

China meat and food processor Zhongpin Inc. has begun trial production at its two newest child and frozen pig meat product plants, in Jiangsu and Jilin provinces, according to company reports. Phase 1 of the Jiangsu plant involves an annual production capacity of roughly 80,000 metric tons for chilled and easy-to-cook pork products and 20,000 metric tons for frozen pork. It includes a production facility, warehouse and distribution center. Phase 2, a production facility for prepared pork products with an annual capacity of 30,000 metric tons, is expected to open in the third quarter of 2012. Jilin's Phase 1 plant has an annual production capacity of 70,000 metric tons for chilled pork and 25,000 metric tons for frozen pork. It includes a slaughtering and processing plant, a low-temperature prepared pork plant, a logistics center and a research and development center. Phase 2 will include an annual production capacity of 30,000 metric tons of prepared pork products and a second research and development center, expected to open in the third quarter of 2012. "With our two newest plants for chilled and frozen pork opening, we have increased our annual capacity for chilled and frozen pork by 29.3% and our total annual production capacity for all products by 26.4%," said Xianfu Zhu, chairman and CEO of Zhongpin.