Besides aircraft parts, MBA degrees and sophisticated building designs, Maryland?s exports to China also include those traditional staples ? chicken feet and bull semen.
A decade ago, the folks at Perdue Farms in Salisbury discovered a better way to dispose of the millions of pounds of chicken “paws” produced at the company?s poultry processing plants. They had been selling them for 2 to 3 cents a pound to be rendered for livestock feed, but they found they could get 10 to 20 times that by shipping frozen chicken feet to China, where they are a deep-fried delicacy.
China is “an important export market for us,” said Perdue spokeswoman Julie DeYoung. In addition to the paws, the company also ships chicken parts, wing tips and chicken hot dogs. “We see [China] continuing to be important for us in the future.”
Perdue started China operations at Maryland trade office in Shanghai, and now has more than 25 people handling management and sales for its U.S. imports and its domestic processing plant in Anhui province, Maryland?s sister province.
Shore Genetics in Centreville began shipping bovine semen to inseminate Holstein cows to China last year. The Chinese traditionally have not consumed dairy products, but now “they want to see more animal protein in the diet,” said Kevin Leaverton, head of the company.
The goal is a glass of milk a day per child, and that means China needs more than its current 4 million cows, Leaverton said.
Leaverton declined to disclose how much frozen bull semen he?s shipping to Beijing ? “it?s very competitive,” he said ? but the 10 U.S. companies export about 20 million doses a year, at prices ranging from $5 to $50 a unit. The firm has also begun shipping frozen embryos for bovine “surrogate mothers” at prices ranging from $200 or 300 to $3,000 a piece.
Leaverton acknowledged he tasted chicken feet at a banquet in China. “I?ll eat anything for a deal,” he laughed.
Nancy Wallace, director of international business for the state, said Maryland plans to drum up more agricultural trade in China. She hopes to see some business for the state?s horse industry when the head of the Beijing Jockey Club makes a return visit soon. Next month, 25 agricultural leaders and producers from Maryland will visit China on a trade mission.
