There have been many complaints in the UK over politicians reporting the same "good news" over and over again as if it was something new. Multiple reporting has become as big a fad as "Let me be clear about this..." inevitably followed by bluster and confusion.
What nobody in the media seems to have realised is that the pig trotter deal has been reported finalised many times before the Prime Minister visited China last week
Why do that?
Well, aside from the obvious political posturing, it helps keep farming criticism at bay.
Ordinary farmers paid to promote the far more controversial dodgy pig semen export deal - one that seems to give them little or no benefit and poses serious risks to both Britain and China: political to Britain, disease to China.
Even the monetary value of this part of the deal seems to have been overstated by the government.
We have no doubt we will now get some convoluted explanations seeking to explain the confusion. "Let's be clear about this..."
On the other hand they might just make it all secret.
Full Meat Trade News Daily report here
UK - Pigs ears, snouts and trotters for China
28 May 2012China says Yes to British fifth-quarter
British pork will be on menus in China at last, following this week's visit by food and farming minister Jim Paice.
After many false starts it has agreed to accept exports of British pigmeat. The market is worth £50m much of it offal, trotters, ears and other parts of the "fifth quarter" which British diners do not eat.
"China is the most lucrative grocery market in the world and from fashion to food its rapidly expanding middle class has an appetite for Western goods," said Jim Paice.
BPEX chairman Stewart Houston is in China with the minister. He said this morning, "This is something we have been working towards for several years in close co-operation with Defra and the British embassy in Beijing.
"The process has been a long one but I know it will prove to be extremely worthwhile. Pork is the most popular meat in China and some of the cuts which are less popular here command a premium over there." The first consignment of British pork is ready to be dispatched by Tulip.
"The news of the clearance to supply British pig meat into China is the culmination of many months of hard work by the team at Defra, BPEX and the National Pig Association who have played a vital role in
securing this export business opportunity by working in conjunction with the pigmeat processing industry and UK pig farmers," said Andrew Saunders, director of agriculture.
"The commitment by China to use British pigmeat is testament to the quality and standards in place across the United Kingdom pig industry and provides us with an exciting opportunity to enter a developing
market."
Defra is looking to use the experience of developing this trade deal to open up markets for other British products and services. This will be vital in the future work of its food exports action plan.
