A truck carrying boxes of caviar departs from a sturgeon products plant in Hubei province on Sept 9, 2020. The fish eggs are expected to arrive in London over the weekend. (Photos: chinadaily.com.cn)

A refrigerated truck loaded with 300 kilograms of caviar rolled out of a sturgeon products plant in Yidu, Hubei province, on Wednesday, starting the first leg of the cargo's journey to London.

The truck carried the cold caviar to storage at an airport in Zhengzhou, Henan province. From there it will be flown to Hong Kong and transferred to a flight to London on Saturday. It will arrive at its destination the next day.

Valued at more than 1 million yuan ($147,000), the shipment was the company's first export since the coronavirus outbreak.

Staff members examine caviar at a sturgeon products plant in Hubei province on Sept 9, 2020.

Established in August 2015, the Hubei Qingjiang Acipenser Valleys Aquatic products Processing Co is a high-tech enterprise that breeds sturgeon and cultivates fish eggs. It is a leading company in China in the sector whose products are exported to overseas markets in the Middle East, Europe and the United States.

Ji Jianyi, an official of the company, said that before the pandemic outbreak the company had received orders of caviar products valued at more than 70 million yuan and live spawn valued at more than 50 million yuan from overseas markets. However, the orders had to be canceled because of the global pandemic.

"We received a purchase order from London in July," Ji said. "A trade agreement was reached later."

Staff members pour caviar into a container at a sturgeon products plant in Hubei province on Sept 9, 2020.

Boxes of caviar are seen at a sturgeon products plant in Hubei province on Sept 9, 2020.

Staff members carry a box of caviar are seen at a sturgeon products plant in Hubei province on Sept 9, 2020.