探視泰森食品的超清潔中國養雞場

China-Nestled among tiny farms in this rural outpost outside Shanghai is a huge, supersanitary chicken farm-a bold bet by Tyson Foods Inc. that it can thrive in China by overhauling a decades-old business model.

在上海周邊的農村地區散落的小農場中間，坐落着泰森食品公司(Tyson Foods Inc.)的一家超大型、極其清潔的養雞場。這是泰森食品的一次大膽押注，尋求通過徹底改變存在了幾十年的商業模式在中國市場獲得成功。

Instead of buying chickens from independent farmers, as Tyson long has done world-wide, the company is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build its own farms in China. The effort is aimed at making inroads in a crucial growth market by addressing one of the country's most vexing problems: food safety.

泰森食品斥資數億美元在中國建設自己的養雞場，而不是從農村散養農戶手中收購雞隻，這也是該公司長期以來在全球各地的一貫做法。這樣做的目的在於，通過因應“食品安全”這一讓中國人最感苦惱的問題，進入中國這個至關重要的增長市場。

On a recent afternoon, 330,000 chickens graze in 16 ventilated buildings, each about the area of two Olympic swimming pools. Video cameras monitor the interiors, where the faint sound of chirps mix with the whir of big fans. Workers don sterilized uniforms and shoes. Every delivery truck entering the grounds is sprayed three times with disinfectant.

不久前的一天下午，記者看到33萬隻雞在16個通風良好的雞舍裏進食，每個雞舍的面積都有兩個奧運泳池那麼大。有攝像頭對雞舍的內部進行監控，雞舍內，雞隻的叫聲和大型風扇的嗡嗡聲夾雜在一起。工人們穿着消過毒的制服和鞋。每一輛駛入養雞場的卡車都要噴三次消毒劑。

Tyson aims by 2015 to run 90 such farms in China and supply its processing plants here almost exclusively with company-raised broilers, as chickens raised for meat are called. Today the Springdale, Ark., company has 20 farms in China. Three years ago, none. The goal is to double production in China to three million birds a week for supermarkets and restaurants to help offset sluggish growth in the U.S.

泰森食品的目標是，到2015年之前在中國運營90個這樣的養雞場，該公司在中國的加工工廠所需的肉雞幾乎完全來自自己的養雞場。如今，這家總部位於阿肯色州斯普林代爾(Springdale)的公司在中國的養雞場數量已經從三年前的零增加到20個。泰森食品的目標是，在中國實現產量翻番，達到每週向超市和餐廳供應300萬隻，以對衝美國市場增長疲軟的影響。

'We just can't build the [chicken] houses fast enough, and we're going absolutely as fast as we know how to go,' says Tyson Chief Executive Donnie Smith.

泰森食品首席執行長史密斯(Donnie Smith)說，我們建雞舍的速度還不夠快，但我們的速度絕對已經在我們力所能及的範圍內儘可能地快了。

Tyson has competition. Chinese companies, such as KFC supplier Fujian Sunner Development Co. +0.09% , dominate the market and are expanding. Many are working to modernize their food-production system, sometimes with their own company farms. Acquiring new technology and safety practices was a reason for this year's $4.7 billion takeover of U.S.-based pork processor Smithfield Foods Inc. by China's Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd.

泰森食品也面臨着競爭。包括肯德基(KFC)的供應商福建 農發展股份有限公司(Fujian Sunner Development Co.)在內的中國公司主宰着這一市場，而且規模也越來越大。很多公司都在努力實現食品生產體系的現代化，一些公司還建立了自己的養雞場。今年，中國的雙匯國際控股有限公司(Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd.)以47億美元收購美國的豬肉加工商Smithfield Foods Inc.，原因之一就是要獲取新的技術和安全操作。

Tyson doesn't disclose its investment costs or revenue by country. But CLSA Americas LLC estimates that Tyson's China revenue was about $715 million in the fiscal year that ended in September and will reach $1.1 billion by fiscal 2015.

泰森食品不按國別披露其投資成本或營收。不過，CLSA Americas LLC估計，在截至今年9月份的這個財年裏，泰森食品在中國的營收大約爲7.15億美元，到2015財年將達到11億美元。

In the U.S., where Tyson is the largest meat processor by sales, the company contracts with 4,000 farmers to raise the chickens that Tyson processes. The farmers raise about 100,000 birds at a time, shouldering the risk and navigating the logistical hassles.

按銷售額計，泰森食品是美國最大的肉類加工廠商，該公司與4,000家農場簽訂了協議，該公司加工的雞隻由這些農場飼養。這些農場在同一時間內飼養的雞大約有10萬隻，農場自己承擔風險和物流成本。

But that doesn't fly in China, which is dominated by small-scale farms. Small poultry farms, which may have only a few hundred birds each, are hard to monitor to prevent disease and deter excessive use of the feed additives that speed animal growth.

然而，在主要以小規模養飼養場爲主的中國，這種做法行不通。小型家禽飼養場一次可能僅飼養數百隻家禽，很難監控並預防疾病，而且也很難防止通過過度使用飼料添加劑來加快家禽生長。

Such food-safety problems are hindering companies' efforts to tap a growing demand for meat in China's emerging middle class. China overtook the U.S. last year as the world's largest consumer of chickens. But since then, a new bird-flu outbreak and other health scares have triggered sharp declines in sales.

中國新興的中產階級對肉類食品的需求在不斷增長，但上述食品安全問題正在阻礙各個企業爲滿足這些需求所作的努力。去年，中國取代美國成爲全球最大的雞肉消費國。但之後，新型禽流感疫情爆發以及其他健康問題又導致銷售額出現大幅下降。

Yum Brands Inc., which counts on China for about half the company's $14 billion in global revenue, blamed consumer concerns over chicken for weaker sales at Yum's KFC outlets. The company cut ties this year with some small-scale suppliers after several vendors were investigated for using excessive levels of antibiotics.

百勝餐飲集團(Yum Brands Inc.)全球140億美元的收入中有大約一半來自中國。該公司將旗下肯德基(KFC)餐廳銷售額下降歸咎於消費者對雞肉的擔憂。由於調查發現一些供應商使用過量抗生素，該公司今年與一些小規模供應商斷絕了業務關係。

China's chicken market is central to Tyson's plan to increase its sales from international production by at least 12% annually over the next few years. Tyson, which generated $34 billion in global revenue for fiscal 2013, has processed chicken in China since 2001. Lately, though, the company hasn't turned a profit in the country because of its investments in new farms and processing plants. The company expects to be profitable in China by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014.

泰森食品計劃在未來數年讓國際產品銷售額每年實現至少12%的增幅，而中國雞肉市場對該公司實現這一計劃十分關鍵。泰森食品自2001年以來一直在中國加工雞肉，該公司2013財年全球收入達到340億美元。但近來，由於該公司對新飼養場和加工工廠進行投資，公司在中國的業務一直未能實現盈利。泰森食品預計2014財年第四季度前在中國實現盈利。

After a decade of purchasing birds from independent farmers, Tyson determined it needed to take over production. 'It became apparent we have less control over product quality and safety when we buy chickens available on the open market,' says Malik Sadiq, the chief operating officer of Tyson's China division.

過去10年，泰森食品一直從獨立飼養場那裏收購家禽，現在該公司確定需要自己來飼養。該公司中國業務首席運營長薩迪克(Malik Sadiq)說：很明顯，當我們在公開市場上購買雞時，我們對產品質量和安全的控制不夠。

Tyson says that while operating farms raises costs, it also gives the company direct oversight of production, enabling it to use biosecurity measures. For example, its chicken houses are covered, unlike at many Chinese farms, protecting the animals from the droppings of migrating birds that can carry diseases such as bird flu.

泰森食品說，雖然經營飼養場會增加成本，但此舉也讓公司可以直接監控生產，令公司可以採用生物安全措施。比如說，和中國的養雞場不一樣，泰森食品的雞舍是有屋頂的，這樣可以保護雞羣免受遷徙過程中候鳥糞便的污染，候鳥糞便可能攜帶禽流感等病毒。

Tyson hopes that safe products will help build its retail brand in a country where it is little known.

泰森食品在中國還不爲人所熟知，該公司希望安全的產品將有助於公司在中國打造其零售品牌。

The payoff could be significant. Poultry sales here have been growing faster than those of pork, China's favorite meat, in part because chicken is less expensive. Retailers and fast-food companies are expanding and looking for safe suppliers. The bulk of Tyson's chicken sales in China today are to wholesalers and other meatpackers that use the meat in sausage and other products. About 20% of its sales by volume is for the fast-food sector.

這樣做可能帶來巨大的回報。中國家禽銷售的增速超過了中國人喜愛的豬肉，部分原因在與雞肉相對便宜。零售商和快餐企業正在擴張，都在尋找安全的供應商。目前，泰森食品在中國銷售的雞肉主要面向批發商以及其他將雞肉用於生產香腸和其他產品的肉類加工商。該公司銷量的大約20%是面向快餐行業。

Minnesota-based Cargill Inc. started processing chicken in China this past spring, opening its own farms and plants as part of a $250 million investment. And Illinois-based OSI Group Inc., a supplier to McDonald's Corp., said recently that it had expanded the poultry farms it operates in China through a joint venture.

總部設在明尼蘇達州的嘉吉公司(Cargill Inc.)今年春季開始在中國加工雞肉。作爲一項2.5億美元投資的一部分，該公司在中國開設了自己的飼養場和工廠。麥當勞(McDonald's Corp.)供應商、總部設在伊利諾伊州的OSI Group Inc.不久前表示，該公司通過一家合資企業擴大了其在中國經營的家禽飼養場。

Building farms is complicated and capital-intensive. Gaining rights to China's scarce agricultural land is difficult. Tyson must find plots without neighbors who raise poultry to mitigate the spread of disease. Government approval of leases can take months, if not years, according to industry executives.

建養雞場不僅複雜，而且需要大量資本。獲取中國稀缺的農業用地權十分困難。泰森食品須找到四周沒有家禽飼養的地塊，這樣可減少疾病的傳播。業界高管表示，政府對租賃權的審批可能需要數月、甚至數年時間。

Mr. Sadiq, the Tyson operating chief, says the tax revenue the company provides help its case with officials. But analysts say that provincial authorities generally give preference to local companies. When Tyson gets approval, it often pays compensation or rent to current farmers.

泰森食品首席運營長薩迪克說，公司繳納的稅款會有助於完成政府審批。但分析人士說，省級主管部門一般會優先考慮地方企業。泰森食品若拿到審批，往往要向當前用那些地的農民支付賠償金或租金。

China's national government generally has supported the move to larger farms to modernize production and improve food safety. The government also has aided the commercial chicken industry by reducing the number of so-called wet markets, where live birds and other farm products are sold to consumers and where viruses can circulate easily.

中國中央政府一般來說對農場擴大規模以實現現代化生產和提高食品安全的做法持支持態度。此外，政府還會通過減少傳統市場來輔助商業雞肉產業。傳統市場是指將活禽和其它農產品直接賣給消費者的市場，病毒可輕易傳播。

Tyson has had to build roads and bridges and install electrical lines. Cargill is making similar investments, including building 30 miles of roads near its operations in Anhui, a relatively poor eastern province, and splitting the cost with the local government for installing 300 miles of electrical lines.

泰森食品不得不修路搭橋和安裝電線。嘉吉目前也在進行類似投資，包位於在中國相對貧困的東部省份安徽該公司農場附近修建30英里（約48公里）的公路，並與當地政府分攤安裝300英里（約480公里）電線的費用。

'Embarking on these projects in rural China requires just immense complexity,' says Christopher Langholz, who heads Cargill's animal-protein business in China.

嘉吉動物蛋白中國區總裁樑厚哲(Christopher Langholz)說，在中國農村開展這些項目極爲複雜。

Still, executives believe it will pay off. Retailers are selling upscale labels and imported foods to consumers who believe that such products are safer than what is available at traditional markets.

儘管如此，高管們仍認爲此舉十分划算。零售商目前在銷售高檔和進口食品，消費者們認爲這些產品比傳統市場上的食品更安全。

Tyson says its strategy already is winning more business from restaurant chains and retailers. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. 's chief executive for China, Greg Foran, says Tyson has helped minimize the retailer's risk by providing a safe, controlled supply.

泰森食品說，這一策略已經讓公司從連鎖餐廳和零售商那裏獲得了更多業務。沃爾瑪連鎖公司(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)中國業務首席執行長高福瀾(Greg Foran)說，由於泰森提供了安全可控的產品供應，沃爾瑪的風險降到了最低。

Tyson aims to expand retail sales to 20% of its volume in China from 10% today. But that will require building name recognition and persuading consumers to buy packaged breasts and wings instead of entire birds recently slaughtered at market-and to pay more for chicken billed as higher quality.

泰森食品的目標是將在華零售數量佔公司銷售總數的比例從目前的10%增至20%。但這不僅要建立品牌識別度，還要說服消費者購買包裝好的雞胸和雞翅，而不是在市場上買剛剛屠宰好的整雞，並且讓他們願意爲所謂高品質的雞肉花更多錢。

'Chinese customers don't pay,' says James Rice, a former vice president of Tyson's operations in China who now works for a Chinese liquor company. 'In China, 20% of customers have the purchasing power and the other 80% will buy the cheapest thing.'

泰森食品前中國區運營副總裁、現供職於中國某白酒企業的賴斯(James Rice)說，中國消費者不會花這個錢的；在中國，只有20%的消費者有購買力，其餘80%則是撿便宜東西買。

Macy Lu, a 40-year-old homemaker in Shanghai, says she bought Tyson chicken recently because the deboned and skinned thighs were more convenient than what she would have bought elsewhere. It was a 'bit more expensive,' she says, but she felt safer buying the Tyson chicken because of the production date on the label. 'If there is any problem, at least it's traceable.'

40歲的上海家庭主婦Macy Lu說，自己近來買的是泰森雞肉，因爲這些雞大腿無骨無皮，相較其它地方的雞腿更爲方便。她說，泰森雞肉是要稍微貴一點，但感覺更安全，因爲商標上有生產日期。她說，如果有任何問題，至少是可以追溯的。