Ekro, the subsidiary of the VanDrie Group, will become the first Dutch veal slaughterhouse to receive approval to export veal products to China.
Ekro is shipping the first veal order to China this week.
This signifies a breakthrough in the 17-year negotiation process concerning the export of Dutch veal to China.
Initially, only boneless veal will be allowed to cross the border.
This week’s visit by the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and the Commerce Minister Zhong Shan to the Netherlands is confirmed the trade deal.
The Chinese government had authorised the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority to perform the final required inspection at one veal-producing company.
Henny Swinkels, Director of Corporate Affairs, is delighted with the result.
“Many people have worked very hard to achieve this. The Dutch embassy and its agricultural attachés in China, the NVWA and the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) all deserve considerable praise,” he said.
“I am also very happy with the help that we have received from the Dutch meat association Centrale Organisatie voor de Vleessector (COV). It is an excellent result that could only be achieved through the professional, collective efforts and close cooperation with the Chinese institutions.”
Mr Swinkels envisages great prospects for the Dutch quality product. The Netherlands has a good reputation in the field of nutrition in China. “With our quality system Safety Guard, we provide unique guarantees for the Dutch veal products that we deliver, such as quality, tracking and tracing and food safety,” he said.
“Chinese consumers find these elements very important. It is now up to us to familiarise the market with the product.”