Promising Middle East export market for SA beef

The Middle East provides an ideal export market for South African beef since approximately

90% of beef and lamb supplies for the region are imported, according to Louw van Reenen, CEO of Beefmaster Group.

Van Reenen said the demand for South African beef was already well established in the Middle East, due to its premium quality and low fat content. This, coupled with the region’s rapidly growing population, was ensuring a viable market for local beef exporters.

“Local beef exporters would also like to expand the market to other leading export destinations such as the United Arab Emirates, based on the success South Africa has had in [similar countries] in the Middle East,” he said.

To that effect, South African beef exporters such as Karan Beef and Beefmaster Group took part in Gulfood 2022, the largest annual food and beverage exhibition in the world, which took place in Dubai in February. More than 120 countries and 4 000 companies participated in this year’s fair.

“We were hoping to cement our existing relationships at the fair this year and, of course, continue to positively showcase South African beef. Trade fairs like these are critical for our industry, as they help to stimulate the trade and supply of South African beef from global players.

“It’s even more critical for our country [following] COVID-19 [travel restrictions], when maintaining international relationships by attending events wasn’t possible.”

Van Reenen said he expected the local consumer market for beef to perform negatively to flat in 2022, due to the skyrocketing cost of raw materials, stock and animal feed, the high price of weaners, and the impact of disasters such as fires and floods on cattle farmers and other suppliers. These all had a knock-on effect on beef production.

South Africa therefore needed to take advantage of opportunities that would open up more export markets.

Gerhard Schutte, CEO of the South African Red Meat Producers’ Organisation, previously told Farmer’s Weekly that South Africa currently exported 4% of its beef production and 1% of its mutton and lamb each year.

There was thus scope to increase beef exports to 20%, according to Schutte. In 2021, South Africa exported beef to 33 countries, including China, Jordan and Norway, while mutton and lamb were exported to the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.