中国开始进口澳洲活牲畜
China has started the importation of live cattle from Australia, part of a landmark deal that opens the doors to China's huge beef market for Australian farmers.
中国已开始从澳大利亚进口活体牲畜，标志着中国将向澳洲农民开放其巨大的牛肉市场。
The first batch of 150 cattle arrived in southwest China's Chongqing early Wednesday morning.
Chongqing is one of the three cities designated to receive the imported cattle.
The Australian beef, to be locally-butchered, will hit the market in Chongqing as early as next month following quarantine.
Chongqing Hondo, the company that purchased the cattle, said the price of the beef from imported cattle will not be much higher than imported frozen beef.
China has imported cattle for breeding purposes as well as milk cows from Australia, but has never imported live cattle for slaughter on a large scale.
China and Australia signed a deal last year that involved shipping 1 million head of Australian cattle to China each year.