The UK has agreed to start exporting £45m worth of pig semen to China from next year, in one of the latest deals clinched by David Cameron during his trade visit to the country.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: "We're doing all we can to ensure that businesses up and down the country reap the rewards from our relationship with China. And that includes our pig farmers.
"This new deal to export pig semen will be worth £45m to UK firms and means Britain's best pigs will help sustain the largest pig population in the world.
"And we're not stopping there, we're talking to the Chinese about serving up pigs trotters on Beijing's finest dining tables. That would be a real win-win - a multi-million pound boost for Britain and a gastronomic treat for Chinese diners.”
Four artificial insemination centres in England and Northern Ireland are set to start exporting fresh and frozen pig semen from early 2014. China has half of the world's pigs but has sought to improve their pigs' genetics.
This comes after the UK agreed last year to send thousands of pigs to China and exploit their demand for high-quality pork.
Britain's burgeoning pig semen exports come alongside the country's bovine semen market, which helps artificially inseminate cows. Interested markets include Kenya and Albania, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada and the Falkland Islands.
