Australian beef popular in the Philippines

MANILA -- The Philippines has the largest imports of Australian beef in Asean, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) said in a briefing Thursday.

MLA country manager Peter Paul Perez said that beef exports to the Philippines in 2014 increased

Meat and Livestock Australia says the country imported 34,352 tons of beef in 2014

This was 27 percent higher than the previous year

by 27 percent year-onyear to 34,352 tons.

This is higher than Malaysia’s imports of Australian beef at 13,105 tons; Singapore’s 10,094 tons; Thailand’s 5,422 tons; and Vietnam’s 2,092 tons.

Sheep and mutton

Perez said the country’s demand of sheep meat is also growing.

Philippine imports of lamb last year grew by 18 percent year-on-year to 566 tons; however, it is lower than imports of Malaysia with 7,389 tons, Singapore with 2,124 tons, Vietnam with 2,902 tons, and Thailand with 652 tons.

Likewise, Australian mutton meat imports of the country surged by 73 percent to 62 tons while Malaysia imported 15,939 tons; Singapore with 9,052 tons; Vietnam with 1,685 tons; and Thailand with 17 tons.

“More restaurants now are offering a wide range of red meat options,” Perez noted.

“Acceptance with meat is growing,” he added.

He mentioned that the key drivers of red meat imports in Southeast Asia were the free trade agreement of Asean with Australia and New Zealand (ANZFTA), population growth, the expansion of the middle class, fast urbanization, and gradual shift to a diet with more protein.

Supply

However, Perez noted that there will be 15 percent contraction on global supplies of beef this year until 2016.

The 15-percent contraction was pushed by climate change, feed prices, currency changes, and global economic activity.

“But due to better economic conditions and big population, it is expected that the Philippines will still corner a better volume versus its Asean neighbors,” said Perez.

Meanwhile, red meat industry in Australia is estimated at around a billion (Australian dollars).

It is also the third largest beef exporter to the world.