| February 14, 2005,
as reported by just-food.com: With a predicted
fifty percent increase in dairy production over the next
ten years, China is positioning itself to become a major
new world player in the industry. According to a dairy
expert quoted by the China Daily newspaper dairy production
will rise sharply from the 16.25 million tonnes produced
today to an estimated 25 million tonnes by 2015.
Most of the additional production will probably be
used to feed China’s growing acceptance of dairy.
Wang Huaibao, vice-director of the China Association
of Dairy Products Industry expects China’s dairy
product consumption will also rise over the next ten
years. By his estimates China will be consuming 18 kilogrammes
a head of dairy in 2015, up from its current level of
13 kilogrammes a year but still well below the world
average of 100 kilogrammes.
“There’s massive potential in the Chinese
market,” Wang said. But he warned that it would
take a change in attitudes to dairy products. "We
have to remember that many people in China are not yet
ready to include milk in their diet," he said.
"Most of the country's 9 million farmers never
drink any because they don't like it or can't afford
it."
World threat
While even at 25 million tonnes China will still be
a moderate player in the world dairy market -- the United
States dairy industry produced in 77.25 million tonnes
in 2003 -- with production costs nearly half those of
the U.S. or European Union, China will be someone to
watch in the coming years.
|
