A 26-story structure is rising from the ground in Ezhou, Hubei province. This is no office building: Inside will be thousands of pigs.
It could be called a pig hotel, except that the animals will be headed not for the swimming pool but for people's dinner plates.
It's one of the tallest pig-raising facilities in the country, and will use new technology to eliminate odors. It's being funded by local investors to the tune of 2 billion yuan ($300 million). Once put into operation, it is expected to produce 600,000 pigs annually.
The structure is designed for luxury, with air conditioning and heating systems to adapt to winter and summer. Each floor has its own ventilation system and deodorizing system. Pig wastes will be disposed of via a flushing toilet system.
And you thought the elevator in your office building was crowded during rush hour? The elevator in this building can accommodate 60 pigs at a time.
Interior of the pig-raise facility under construction. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
As planned, Phase I of the project is expected to begin operations in September.
"Compared with traditional pig-raising farms, this saves land and is more environmentally friendly," said Zhuge Wenda, the owner and an investor. Zhuge also owns a company that produces concrete and cement. Of course, juicy pork should be more tender than that.
"With the decreasing number of infrastructure projects, the cement and concrete business is shrinking," he said. "However, the market always has room for high-quality meat, and the future of the pig-raising industry is bright."
Highly skilled employees are needed for the factory to run at peak efficiency. The company recently released an advertisement to recruit staff at a salary of 300,000 yuan ($50,000) annually.
"We need talent familiar with all the feeding, deodorization and monitoring systems. And we hope to attract workers with an alluring offer," Zhuge said.
Randy Wright contributed to this story.