"Exporting to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region requires a rigorous approval process and very high standards of quality," said Teet Soorm, general manager of HKScan Estonia. "We plan to start with chicken feet and wings, but in the future we plan to expand with products of higher value." The whole process, from application to approval, took 18 months.
The company has also applied for permission to export pork to Hong Kong. Establishing a footprint in Hong Kong is the first phase in its strategy to gain a foothold in the wider Asian market, said Soorm.
Earlier this year HKScan announced it was establishing a sales office in Hong Kong. In time, this will serve as the base for marketing and customer service for other Far Eastern markets, if HKScan’s strategy progresses as planned.
HKScan Group is a whole-chain meat business, owning the whole pork and poultry chain from feed and livestock through to processing. The group’s brands in Estonia are Rakvere and Tallegg.