Chinese average meat consumption will increase by 20 kg or more in the years to come, as the living standard improves and consumption patterns change, China Quality Daily reported Monday.

The paper, quoting Deng Fujiang, deputy director of China Meat Association (CMA), said, "This target is attainable."

At present, a rural Chinese consumes 50 grams of meat per day, and the figure for an urban citizen is less than 100 grams, the paper said.

The goal is to let the average Chinese eat 100 grams of meat, or more, every day in the near future, said Pan Yaoguo, a researcher with the State Council's Development Research Institute.

Statistics from the CMA showed that China's total meat output came to 72.5 million tons in 2004, with pork output accounting for 47 percent of the world's total.

China has become the world's biggest meat producer since 1992 and its meat market share has kept rising over the past decade.

However, China's per capita meat consumption is less than 53 kg now, compared with the 70-130 kg consumed by citizens in developed countries.

Over the past years, China's meat consumption saw a marked change, with consumers expanding from higher-income groups in large cities and developed areas to low income people in rural areas.

CMA' statistics said China now has 100 modern pig, cow and poultry slaughtering enterprises and five egg products processing companies with advanced production lines introduced from abroad.

Source: Xinhua