Chinese dairy processing could have ‘game-changing’ implications

CHINA’s rapid progress towards dairy processing self-sufficiency could have game-changing implications for the long-term export ambitions of countries such as Ireland, according to a study by Davy Stockbrokers.

The Food and Beverages report signals dairy as the fastest-growing sector in the Chinese livestock industry. The report notes that China’s dairy growth is part of the country’s strategic self-sufficiency targets.

The report congratulates China on maintaining food self-sufficiency for its population, which accounts for 20% of the world but lives on only 9% of the world’s cultivated land (less than 1 hectare per person or about 40% of the world average).