From Netease, A Facebook For Pigs

网易(Netease.com)以中国最大的互联网门户网站之一而闻名。这家公司最近的豪情壮志是：养猪。网易的创始人首席执行长丁磊计划将开办养猪场作为副业，给猪添加严格的有机饲料。这家公司还计划为猪农们开发一个类似于Facebook的网站，让他们交流饲养经验，同时也是支持他们的行业。消费者也能通过登录网站参与进来，了解这些猪的详细情况，比如它们的午餐是什么。Associated Press自称为美食家的丁磊周末期间在广东省同当地官员和企业老板谈到了他的计划。他说，对中国食品安全和质量的担忧是他的主要动机。网易计划投资数千万元兴办养猪场，不过他本人和网易的发言人都未提供具体数字。丁磊说，网易的其他管理人员也参与了进来。该公司发言人说，网易养猪主要是一种公益行为，而非牟取私利。针对近期出现的几起食品安全事件，网易希望社会能够更加重视中国农业的发展。这位发言人说，有关这项计划的更多细节将在4月份公布。据网易的一名员工说，丁磊对养猪的兴趣公司内部尽人皆知，他在谈话时不时会提到养猪。为这一养猪项目展开初步调研的网易管理人员决定，在浙江东部的湖州市建立网易的养猪场。初步的计划包括从日本鹿儿岛进口约1万头黑毛猪。据中国媒体报导，丁磊说，他们是在考虑了口感和体型大小等各种因素后决定引进这种猪的。养猪将执行严格的标准，包括一些上厕所的训练。一头猪每天要排泄2.2公斤粪便，只有限定在一定的区域才能最大程度地保持清洁。不管其动机如何，丁磊的计划已在中国引起了极大关注，尤其是在互联网上。一位网民写道，我想尝尝网易牌猪肉。还有一人赞扬了他的企业精神。新华网专栏作家张永琪写道，丁磊养猪计划的目的还是宣传其创办的网站和他的公司。但他也表示，通过让网络充分发挥作用，丁磊也提醒了其他企业家，应多关注农业，多投资农业。Juliet Ye（“中国日志”（China Journal）关注全球第一人口大国的发展变化，《华尔街日报》获奖团队数十位记者倾情献稿，Sky Canaves主笔。欢迎读者发送邮件至chinajournal@wsj.com或在下面评论栏中发表评论和建议。） 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年02月18日11:23', 'NTES'));网易公司英文名称：Netease.com Inc. (ADS)总部地点：中国大陆上市地点：纳斯达克股票代码：NTESdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年02月18日11:23', 'NEH.XE'));网易公司英文名称：Netease.com Inc.总部地点：中国大陆上市地点：德国证券电子交易平台股票代码：NTESy


Netease.com (NTES) has made a name for itself as one of China's largest Internet portals. Its latest ambition: swine.Ding Lei, founder and chief executive of the Web company, plans a company sideline into pig farming, with a focus on raising livestock with strictly organic diets. The company also plans to develop an online network - a sort of Facebook for pig farmers - that lets pork purveyors swap breeding and caretaking tips and otherwise support their industry. Consumers could participate, too, by logging into the Web site and seeing details about the pigs, including what they had for lunch.Ding - a self-described food lover who shared his plans with a gathering of local and business leaders in Guangdong Province over the weekend (in Chinese) - said concerns over China's food safety and quality were his main motivation. The company plans to invest tens of millions of yuan into the venture, though neither he nor a company spokeswoman would offer specific figures. Other Netease executives are on board, he said.A spokeswoman said Netease's slop-wallowing ambitions are more for the public welfare than private profit. The company hopes to draw greater attention to agricultural development in a country that has had several recent food scares. More specifics of the plan will be disclosed in April, she said.Ding's interest in pig farming is well-known within the company, according to one person there, who says the chief executive occasionally mentions raising pigs in conversation.Company officials in the initial stages of researching the project have decided to establish Netease's pig farm near Huzhou city, in eastern Zhejiang province. Initial plans include importing about 10,000 black hogs from Kagoshima of Japan to the farm. According to Chinese media, Ding said they've made the decision on this pig species after examining various factors, from general taste to the size of the animals.The pigs will be raised to strict standards, including a bit of toilet training. Each pig will be expected to expel 2.2 kilograms, or almost five pounds, of excrement per day, and only in certain areas for maximum cleanliness.Whatever the motivations, Ding's plans have drawn considerable interest in China, especially online. 'I want to try Netease-brand pork!' said one Web user. Another applauded 'his spirit of enterprise.'Zhang Yongqi, columnist for state-controlled Xinhua.net wrote that 'the purpose of Ding Lei's pig-raising plan is still to draw attention to his Web site and company.' But he added, 'through the application of the Internet, Ding Lei does remind other entrepreneurs to pay attention and invest more in the agricultural industry.'Juliet Ye