For Netease, Facebook Is for Pigs

Netease.com 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.

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