China is to release a reserve of frozen pork onto the market to keep the price down. The reserve was put in place to control inflation, food prices, the broader economy and civil unrest. This has even been dubbed the 'China pork Index'. The price of pork in China can have ripple effects around the rest of the world
I just don't understand why it should affect prices of pork in other countries? Like in US or EU. They aren't importing CN meat. ?
They are importing. Also, Shuanghui International bought Smithfield Foods (US firm and worlds largest pork producer) for 4.7 billion dollars in 2013
From the article
-"Pigs have been at the centre of Chinese culture, cuisine and family life for thousands of years. "-
...Explains some of the manners! lol
-"Pork is the country's essential meat. In Mandarin the word for "meat" and "pork" are the same."-
....Wow what a superior culture, the name for meat and pork is the same!...Is it though? I don't recall it to be the same word 肉 & 猪肉 ?
-"The character for "family" is a pig under a roof."-
...Now it makes sense.
-"The pig is one of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac: those born in that year are said to be diligent, sympathetic and generous."-
...sympathetic and generous? In China? ....This China, right?
-" Pigs signify prosperity, fertility and virility. Poems, stories and songs celebrate them. Miniature clay pigs have been found in graves from the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD)."-
-"Historians think people in southern China were the first in the world to domesticate wild boars, 10,000 years ago."-
....Of course another thing, the Chinese invented! While other prehistoric primates thought: "Wow what a big, stupid, fat, fuggly dog, that is!"...China already gen manipulated all sorts of food.
They ate everything back then, but not wild boars? Hell no! They waited for the Chinese to invent pigs, sitting there on rocks for eons, and then, when China shipped them over with gutter oil and mixian, they went like: "Oh, right! It's a pig, let's get the frying pans out and have a bacon fest!"
Wow, the entire economical future depends on pork, I just found a weak spot for future conflicts, just heat up China to thaw the frozen reserve and drop Tigers to hunt the living pigs. The economy will collapse and..... victory!!!
Holy crap, best story this month. China will fall over the power of cholesterol.
@Dudeson
You're a psychiatrist's wet dream.
What's significant about this? I think there are good arguments by vegetarians against eating meat, and pigs are more intelligent than almost any other animal that humans eat. Also true that rising incomes allow more Chinese to eat more meat, and pork is the favorite. And unless it's lean, yes, pork fat is high in cholesterol.
Other than that, what's the issue here?
Dudeson, I don't get the point of your post - if you don't like pork, don't eat it. By the way, look at any menu in any Chinese restaurant and you'll see dishes using the word 肉 with no modifier - it's pork.
According to the leaders - highly significant for the welfare of the country
modifier arguement does not stand up. in west meat pie, meat ball, meat pattie, meat paste, meat loaf, we dont use a modifier but we know what the meat is. you could extend the thing to include, hamburger (no ham), sausage, italian sausge (not contain dead italians), garlic sausage (mostly meat), shepherds pie (first peel two shepherds).
@ Alien. There are plenty of points in this article that could have both positive and negative effects on the country and people in so many ways.
This is probably around university level material and as you have most likely been working at a kinder school for 14 years you probably won't get it. You don't have to comment on everything you don't understand or find significant.
@Napoleon
Oh,...we all are, that is the beauty of it.
@ Dazzer
Yep, same in German, Schweinefleich, Schweinebacke, Schweinenacken, Schweineschwarte,....etc.
@ Alien
I have no problem with pork. Like it!
And yes eating pork is a shame smart animals, and very social.
I wish they would have learned more social skills rather than only copying the manners. It would have been more useful, than making clay pigs and using the word as modifier.
Just having a little fun here....
