Huge unrealised potential for meat export industry

The South African red meat

industry needs to up its game

by taking ownership of its own

growth potential – and this includes

exploring global meat export

opportunities in the premium

markets.

Speaking at the Red Meat Forum

in Pretoria recently, managing

director of Agricultural Business

SA, Dr Michael Bradfield, said the

industry needed to

stop looking towards

government initiatives

for funding but

instead fund itself, as

was the global norm.

He added that South

African red meat was

of premium export

quality, although it

was currently priced

at a third of what

first world countries

charged for meat of

similar quality. South

Africa therefore

needed to aspire to

reach premium export

markets.

Bradfield pointed out that foreign

market opportunities were opening

up for South African producers in

the premium market. “To enter these

markets, South African producers,

abattoirs and exporters would have

to be able to answer questions on

local animal health and traceability,”

he said.

The industry needed to spend

more money on research and

development, like other big meat

exporting countries, he added.

Bradfield said Russia, Pacific Rim

countries, Europe, South Korea, the

United States and China offered

great export opportunities. “While

Chinese economic growth has

slowed down, the demand for red

meat is still growing. Meat prices in

China have increased 800% over the

past decade due to a growing middle

class,” he said.

Gerhard Schutte,

CEO of the Red

Meat Producers’

Organisation,

commented that

South Africa already

had protocols in place

to export meat to 42

countries and that

the organisation was

currently working

with government to

unlock more of the

top-end markets.

“Producers realise

that government

doesn’t have sufficient

resources to drive

this change. If we want to become a

leading exporter of meat, we have to

help government to help us,” he said.

Schutte pointed out that

SA had a “totally unique meat

classification system”, so meat is

sold at a ‘younger’ age with a lower

fat content than in most other

countries. “South Africa also has a

well-stablished feedlot system that

helps to ensure a uniform product.

On top of this our sheep

are raised on veld and

they receive hardly

any hormones, which

would especially

appeal to

healthconscious

consumers

in first world

countries,” he

said.

INSERT

To enter premium

markets South African

producers, abattoirs

and exporters will

have to be able to

answer questions on

local animal health

and traceability.

– Dr Michael Bradfield