The participation of beef in the Chinese diet is increasing. According to a report by Rabobank, this market is undergoing changes with good acceptance of prices, increased demand and new consumption behaviour.
“Though beef is not among the major animal proteins consumed in China, beef demand has a strongly growth potential. African swine fever, Covid-19, the fast expansion of e-commerce, and lifestyle changes have all contributed to China’s burgeoning beef market”, says Rabobank.
Even if this protein production increases, the Chinese will continue to depend on other countries. “The additional beef demand will be mainly met by imports, which will further intensify global market competition for beef supply and impose upward pressure on global beef prices in the coming years.”
The bank’s estimate is that the share of beef in Chinese consumption will increase to 9.7% by 2025. In 2000, such consumption represented 8.5%. Last year, China consumed 8.7 million tons of this protein and it is expected that by 2025 that number will rise to 9.5 million tons.