From August 23 to 27, a research team organized by Prof. Haizhou Wu, Director of AI-Meat Lab, carried out an intensive field study in Henan Province focusing on the high-quality development of the pork food processing industry. As the first stop of this research initiative, Henan was selected for its representative and influential position in China’s pig industry, with a solid industrial foundation in pork processing. The province is home to the country’s largest pig farming enterprise, Muyuan Group, and its largest pork food processing enterprise, Shuanghui Group.
Background
China has an enormous pig farming scale, with more than 600 million pigs slaughtered annually. Pork is the primary source of animal protein for Chinese residents, and the stable and healthy development of its industrial chain is directly related to the nation’s meat supply and food security. In recent years, however, changes in market demand and adjustments in industrial structure have led to serious structural imbalances in China’s pork food processing industry. Some enterprises have pursued short-term interests while neglecting product quality and innovation, resulting in a lag in the overall development level of the industry and an inability to fully meet consumer demand for high-quality meat products. This not only affects the sustainable development of the industry but also poses a potential threat to public dietary health and social stability. Ensuring the stable supply and quality improvement of pork has thus become an important task at the national strategic level. For scholars in the field of meat research, going deep into enterprises and the front lines of industry to discover and solve genuine scientific problems is a key path to serving national strategy and meeting people’s needs.
Field Study Activities
During the visit, the research team conducted surveys at seven representative enterprises: Shuanghui, Zhongpin, Luoyang CP (Charoen Pokphand), Kaifeng Dahongmen, Guoquan Shihui (Chengming Industrial Park), Jiuduorouduo Food, and Zhongke Shisheng (Henan) Biotechnology. The research covered three major sectors—pig slaughtering, pork product processing, and the utilization of slaughtering and processing by-products—across 15 sub-fields. The team completed dozens of survey questionnaires, collected hundreds of pieces of industry data, and will further compile a phased research report.
The team toured Shuanghui Group’s industrialized production line for prepared dishes and examined product information with company representatives. The team also visited the Henan Meat Association, accompanied by Deputy Secretary-General Ma Changming, and met with Executive President Liu Chengxin. As a witness to and participant in the development of Henan’s meat industry, President Liu detailed the difficult 50-year history of the province’s meat sector and emphasized that high-quality development of the pork food processing industry is a key link in promoting the positive development of the meat industry. Deputy Secretary-General Ma Changming noted: “China’s pig industry has continued to experience abnormal development with serious losses over the years, and high-quality industrial development is a fundamental national policy. We hope the research team will fully investigate industry problems and achieve important progress.”
Project Background
The research is part of a key consulting project titled “Strategic Research on the High-Quality Development of China’s Pig Industry,” a strategic consulting project of the Chinese Academy of Engineering led by Academician Chen Huanchun of Huazhong Agricultural University. The project focuses on six core elements of the entire pig industry chain—breeds, nutrition, disease, environment, equipment, and food processing—to thoroughly investigate industry problems, scientifically predict future development trends and structural scale, analyze fundamental scientific issues, and determine directions for technological product research and development. The ultimate goal is to propose policies and major engineering recommendations to promote the high-quality development of China’s pig industry. The “Strategic Research on the High-Quality Development of the Pork Food Processing Industry” is a sub-project of this key consulting project, organized and conducted by Prof. Haizhou Wu’s team at AI-Meat Lab. The team will continue to conduct intensive research in Shandong, Hunan, Sichuan, and other provinces.
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