Demand for beef grows in China

China is not only the world's largest importer of pork, but also tops the world ranking for beef imports after the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF).

From 2017 to 2020, international beef purchases tripled to almost 2.8 million tonnes; it is also about double the imports of the United States , the second-largest beef importer. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Attaché Adam Branson predicts that China's beef imports will continue to rise in 2021, rising by about 320,000 tons, or just over 11%, to a record 3.1 million tons.

The reason for the increase is that beef demand in China is expected to grow faster than domestic production, and besides, imported meat is cheaper. The American expert expects that beef production in China will grow by 4.2% by 2020 to 7 million tons. With rising prices and good sales opportunities, producers have been looking to increase their herds, with large dairy producers also investing in additional beef cattle production in integrated systems.

According to the US Embassy in Beijing, the total number of cattle in China at the beginning of 2021 was 95.62 million head, up 4.24 million, or 4.6%, from 12 months earlier. However, it should be noted that some suppliers held animals in 2020, so they could not be slaughtered until 2021. The number of dairy cows increased by 2.2% to 13.9 million heads.

US analysts estimate growth in Chinese beef consumption this year at 600,000 tons, up 6.3% from last year. Experts believe that the resumption of consumption of beef outside the home, the availability of imported meat at low prices and high prices for pork will lead to an increase in beef consumption. It is also helped by the fact that more and more young Chinese are cooking beef at home and actively buying beef online, they said.

The USDA concluded that stronger import demand will provide good sales opportunities for traditional beef suppliers in China. In this case, the South American product will be mostly processed domestically, while the US, Australia and New Zealand will focus more on high-end restaurants and food retailers.