Polish meat producers already have a significant presence in Asia Shutterstock

Polish food exports to China grew by 50 percent in 2011, and are expected to increase as the Chinese government has opened up the country’s meat market to Polish businesses.

The expanding middle class in China provides Poland with a promising business opportunity. “The growing middle class in China should result in higher consumption of a number of products, including meat,” Wiesław Różański, head of the Union of Producers and Employers of the Meat Industry (UPEMI) told Rzeczpospolita.

Also beneficial to Polish companies is the fact that Chinese consumers favor many products that are otherwise unpopular on other markets, especially in the meat sector.

Polish meat producers already maintain a significant presence in Asia, with high levels of pork exports to Japan and South Korea. Polish meat exports to South Korea (mainly pork) rose by 300 percent last year, elevating Poland to eighth place in the country’s leading meat suppliers.

Still, Polish meat producers are expected to face some difficulties as they prepare to conquer the vastness of the Chinese market, since Chinese importers have very high standards and are very demanding in comparison to European markets. Differences in cultural and trade customs as well as high transport costs will also prove a challenge for expansion into China.

The declining pig population in Poland could also prove problematic. Pork prices in Poland are already higher than the EU average. This, as well as limited supplies, could potentially hamper the ability of Polish companies to successfully acquire a significant share of the Chinese market.