CHANGGE, CHINA – Zhongpin Inc. has completed its five-month expansion of its pork plant in the city of Anyang in the Henan province of China. The company invested about $6.6 million to improve the plant's pre-cooling room, slaughtering line equipment, refrigeration systems, sewage treatment system and ancillary facilities. Zhongpin's Anyang plant began operations in September 2007.

As a result of this project, the company has increased its plant's capacity by 35% to an annual capacity of 85,000 metric tons from the previous 63,000 metric tons. Chilled pork capacity now accounts for about 70% of the plant's capacity, up from the prior 60% of capacity. The plant's new operations are running well and will be producing at higher volumes in the near future, the company relays.


"Our improvements in this facility, especially for chilled pork, demonstrate our already good success in Anyang and the north China market,” said Xianfu Zhu, chairman and chief executive officer of Zhongpin Inc. “We believe the new capacity will help us meet the rapidly growing demand for high-quality chilled pork that we expect in north China during the next several years."

North China is one of the company's important markets. The expansion in the Anyang plant will help satisfy the growing demand for Zhongpin's products in this region.

Zhongpin Inc. is a meat and food processing company specializing in pork and pork products, vegetables, and fruits in China. Its distribution network in China covers 20 provinces plus Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing and includes more than 3,243 retail outlets. Zhongpin's export markets include the European Union, Russia, Hong Kong, South Africa and Southeast Asia.