In addition to the trade fair, delegates could attend seminars covering a wide range of topics. N.C.C.also organises livestock trade fairs in Vietnam and India, with the October 2007 event being the first one N.C.C. has promoted in China. The Chinese market is a difficult one to get established in, and N.C.C. goes to great pains to emphasise that its speciality is linking overseas companies with well established Chinese businesses.

The opening ceremony was a very colourful one, as is usual in Asia, commencing with a musical introduction provided by a local military band. Following the cutting of a large red ribbon, Mr Kamoinai Chaixanien, Executive Director of N..C.C. welcomed exhibitors and delegates to ILDEX China and said " China has a bright economic outlook and now has become the key driver for global economic growth. This great economic position in turn indicates a positive outlook for China's livestock industry as increasing personal wealth leads to increased meat consumption". N.C.C. was supported by the Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine and the organiser's deputy director Mr Ou Zhongsheng made a short address:" Chinese companies have exhibited at ILDEX Vietnam and ILDEX India and are been keen to exhibit at ILDEX China. This first venture has attracted just under 100 exhibitors from France, India, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA, Vietnam and other countries, in addition to many from China". Mr Zhongsheng concluded by saying that the organisers would do their best to make ILDEX China grow into a large and well recognised international exhibition.

The British Pig Association was flying the flag for the UK pig industry, representing 9 different UK Breeding companies. Chris Jackson travels the world promoting the merits of British pig genetics and of course is keen to promote exports to China." Exporting breeding stock to a new market is a laborious task , with veterinary protocols having to be established .However things speeded up immensely after former Prime Minister Tony Blair came out on a visit. The Chinese want purebred stock with a full pedigree and a delegation came over to the UK to select pigs in May 2007".

Dr Yu Yu is Asia regional director of the National Renderers Association Inc. "Recycling Used Cooking Oil (UCO) and including it in pig diets is big business" said Dr Yu. "We import UCO from fast food outlets in the USA for use in pig diets in China." Yu added that now of course the price has increased as UCO is in demand by the biofuels industry. For pellets, up to 5% UCO can be included - over that pellet quality suffers. The NRA has computer models to produce least cost ration formulations, based on customers' own pig performance data. Using such models which match the requirements to the pigs' genotype is vital today to maximise feed utilisation given the massive feed prices producers are seeing worldwide.

From small beginnings in France Olmix is now a company well known throughout the world. Lu Nan is company manager for China and whilst based in Beijing spends most of his time travelling round this huge country meeting farmers and distributors. Mistral is currently Olmix's main product but the company is in the process of getting M Tox + , Olmix's mycotoxin inhibitor, registered and Lu Nan is hopeful that approval wiil be granted early in 2008. "There are of course big pig farming businesses in China" commented Nan. " The Wings group , for example, has 34 farms and sells one million slaughter pigs a year, but in contrast 50% of China's pork still comes from backyard farms , guys with a few sows at the most. Hence monitoring and control of disease is very difficult compared to Western style pig farms. PRRS (Blue Ear) has been a big problem causing pigs to die and so resulting in a shortage of pork, which of course is China's staple meat , pushing up prices and ultimately inflation. Just at this moment efficient pig farmers are doing alright but poor performing units are losing money, due mainly to the high cost of feed".

There was a wide range of equipment on display, ranging from industrial size milling, mixing and cubing equipment through to syringes and AI sundries. GSI had a prominent stand featuring a range of equipment ranging from farrowing crates to different types of their feeders. Beijing Kingpeng Global Husbandry Technology Co Ltd ( Kingpeng) was also exhibiting at ILDEX. The company makes an impressive range of equipment, from sow stalls through farrowing pens, plastic and cast iron slats, nursery pens, feeders, augers and even a manure processing system.

Danish pig breeders Danbred were not present at the show but Christian Dalsgaard, export manager for J.N.Jorenku, who are based south of Copenhagen, had made the long trip to Beijing and was promoting his company's hygiene product, Staldren. Christian said that NCC had been very helpful in finding his company a Chinese distributor.

The Beijing South Water Livestock Co had a large range of small pig equipment on display, including AI collection and insemination catheters. Amongst the display were some Melrose rubber spiral re - useable catheters. Younger pig producers might be dismissive of using rubber catheters, but in today's world think of the amount of plastic that is used to make "disposable " catheters and the associated packaging - all to be disposed of and recycled - at a cost.

A large number of bio tech and pharmaceutical companies had stands at the fair. Many were promoting their ranges of synthetic amino acids plus vitamin and trace mineral supplements. Qingdao Ease Pharmachem Co Ltd, for example, specializes in manufacturing animal health products, antibiotics and feed additives." Quality control is very important in our business, along with product testing" commented export manager Liu Zhenhua. "Our turnover amounts to $US 20 million annually, with our products being widely distributed throughout China plus we export to more than 10 different countries."