A big enhance in meat consumption in China is opening up new export alternatives for international locations world wide.
A current report by the Financial Analysis Service (ERS) of the US Division of Agriculture (USDA) indicated that the nation now has one of many highest per capita meat consumption charges in Asia.
This adopted a major enhance in meat consumption in China because the Nineteen Seventies, and predictions had been that it could rise even additional within the subsequent 10 years. In consequence, the report, ‘China’s meat consumption: development potential’, said that as a result of a decline in its home manufacturing, China was now the biggest importer of meat on the planet.
“Progress in China’s meat manufacturing […] has slowed as a result of decelerating inhabitants and earnings development, animal illnesses, shortage of land for feed and forage, rising manufacturing prices, and well being considerations. This pattern creates new alternatives for exporters within the US and different international locations, but it surely additionally poses meals safety challenges and environmental impacts,” the report mentioned.
The report added that per capita meat consumption in China at present stood at 53,9kg/12 months, which was just like that of Japan, however was solely 50% of the US common. Per capita meat consumption in China was projected to rise by 23kg from 2022 to 2031 primarily based on client buying information. Pork consumption was, nonetheless, projected to extend at a slower fee than the consumption of different meat classes.
China was at present the world’s largest producer of pork, the second largest producer of hen, whereas it was the third largest for beef, the report mentioned.
USDA economists Fred Gale and Fengxia Dong mentioned within the report that, at current, meat supplied 19% of Chinese language shoppers’ every day energy, in contrast with 4% within the Sixties. “Pork is the dominant meat at 40kg/particular person yearly, or practically three-quarters of consumption.”
Whereas costs of meat merchandise in that nation had risen quicker than that of different commodities because the Nineteen Nineties, it was discovered that meat consumption was “comparatively insensitive to costs”.
“ERS analysts checked out beef, mutton, pork and poultry and located that the connection between consumption and costs is inelastic (that’s, the demand modified proportionately lower than the value)”.
Additional findings within the report included:
- Poultry consumption was stimulated by rising pork costs, however substitutability between different forms of meats was weak and inconsistent throughout information units and estimation methods.
- A number of provide shocks, as a result of illness outbreaks, resulted in massive variations in pork costs.
- Poultry consumption fell throughout outbreaks of avian influenza when instances occurred in people.
- Consumption of beef and mutton continued to climb regardless of massive worth will increase.
“Whereas a good portion of China’s inhabitants nonetheless has dietary deficiencies [due to] low meat consumption, rising incidences of weight problems, coronary heart illness and different diet-related illnesses have prompted Chinese language public well being officers to suggest that buyers curb meat consumption,” the report mentioned. “Like with different nations, there may be [also] concern concerning the environmental results of livestock manufacturing.”
In 2021, meat imports made up 9% of the overall meat provide in China, in contrast with just one% in 2000.
