Danish Crown CEO, Kjeld Johannesen, this week set off on a round trip to China together with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and a number of Danish business leaders.
The prime minister's official visit is a follow-up on President Hu Jintao's state visit to Denmark in June 2012.
The Danish delegation accompanying Helle Thorning-Schmidt will help to draw attention to Danish business interests in China.
Danish Crown alone accounts for almost 10 per cent of Danish exports to China and greatly welcomes the opportunity to make new contacts in the country which, with a population of 1.3 billion, is the world's most populous nation.
"China is Danish Crown's fastest-growing market. In the past five years, we have doubled our exports to China, and we see considerable untapped potential for Danish pork there. So, of course, we are thrilled to be part of the Danish delegation," said Kjeld Johannesen.
Mr Johannesen said he is greatly looking forward to revisiting the country after his trip last spring together with Danish Crown's Board of Directors.
Back then, the Board of Directors visited, for example, Shineway, the biggest meat company in China, with which Danish Crown went on to sign a contract worth DKK 100-150 million.
"We have been trading with China for many years, and thanks to our absolutely world-class food safety standards, we have direct access to the Chinese market," Mr Johannesen added.
Danish Crown ships what equates to a container load of Danish pork every hour to China during the peak season. Products such as trotters, heads and tails are particularly popular with Chinese consumers.
Danish Crown has annual sales of about 33 million trotters to China. In fact, if lined up they would almost equal the length of the Great Wall.
Economic growth and a fast-growing middle class in China mean that the large supermarket chains are becoming increasingly interested in also selling more expensive cuts of Danish pork.
Danish Crown's subsidiary ESS-FOOD handles sales of the group's products in China via three sales offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Qingdao.
Another subsidiary, the casings company DAT-Schaub, employs about 2,000 people at two factories in China, which are joint ventures with two Chinese companies.
Source: 5mpublishing
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