On September 8th, a shipment of frozen mutton from Madagascar arrived at Hunan Hongxing designated inspection site for imported meat. The shipment, totaling 50 packages and over 900 kilograms, was inspected on site by Changsha Customs officers in the first instance.This marks the first time China has imported mutton from Africa since Madagascar's mutton was granted market access in 2023 and represents China’s first-ever import of mutton from Africa.

The inaugural batch of imported mutton was shipped by air from Madagascar to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and then transported by road to Hunan Hongxing designated inspection site for imported meat, with the entire delivery time taking approximately 36 hours. Future imports are planned to be shipped via water through the Chenglingji Port.

The Madagascar mutton will be available in various restaurants and supermarkets across Hunan and beyond, offering more high-quality meat options to domestic consumers, according to the head of the importing company, Changsha Old Farmer Agricultural and Sideline Products Co., Ltd..