A lot on the plate

China's growing demand offers many opportunities for overseas livestock and grain traders

Chicken feet, pig knuckles or cow tripe are hardly items that set the cash registers ringing at the export turnstiles. But in the global food markets, it is these leftover animal parts that are shaping the market trends as strong demand from China is providing the much-needed prop to meat and grain farmers.

Despite its humble nature, imports of pig offal - including pig's head and knuckles, often served as a cold, fun snack with beer - stood at 882,200 tons in 2011 and accounted for more than 65 percent of the total pig products imported in China.