Chinese Taste Westernized Western Australia Optimistic about Cold Tibetan Mutton Export to China

Scott Boyle, a breeder in York City, pointed out that Chinese tastes are changing rapidly and food consumption is becoming more westernized, ACB News reported. WA producers should consider how to market cold storage to them sheep meat.

Currently, China does not import chilled mutton. Mr. Boyle said that during the visit he realized that all imported meat was frozen and needed to be thawed and then deboned or processed before being frozen for sale. Chinese local mutton can't do this, only products with higher hygiene standards like Australian mutton can. "But it destroys quality, so the challenge is that if the Chinese eat more Westernized, they will gradually appreciate the benefits of refrigerated food and be willing to pay for it," he was quoted as saying by Farm Weekly.

Boyle currently owns a 20,000 sheep farm in York. He said that his inspection experience in China prompted him to decide to expand the scale of production, "there is real demand there". The Australian Meat and Animal Commission (MLA) and government trade departments may explore opportunities. The recent memorandum of understanding (details) on mutton export between Western Australia and China and the free trade agreement will provide an excellent platform for the export of cold storage products to China.

Western Australia Mining Nomadic Legislative Council member Mark Lewis said building a long-term relationship and setting long-term goals was the first step in the right direction. It is clear that Western Australia now needs to consider the Chinese refrigerated products market and enter this high-value field.

According to the initial export data compiled by the Western Australian government, the top five markets for Western Australian mutton accounted for 55% of the export volume in the 2014/15 fiscal year, while China accounted for 22%, far higher than Saudi Arabia (10%), which ranked second.

Kimbal Curtis, WA's Senior Research Officer, Agri-Food, discusses the latest industry data and trends this week as industry exchange forums are held across the state. He pointed out that the rising global consumption demand for mutton is pushing up the export price of Australian mutton. "I think the demand will continue to rise for some time to come, especially in the Middle East and China". Judging from the situation in the past two years, the mutton market is in short supply, and the industry prospect is very positive.

With the support of MLA and Australian processor V & V Walsh, the Western Australian delegation visited the asset facilities of V & V Walsh partner Heilongjiang Manor Group, and learned extensively about retail and food distribution channels and mutton production systems in Beijing, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanghai and other places. An Agri executive in Wellard said that the size of the Chinese market and the scale of demand is eye-opening.

Wellard Agri's parent company, Wellard Group, Australia's largest livestock exporter, is currently planning a listing on the Australian Stock Exchange with the assistance of investment bank UBS. Sources said the IPO size could be A $2-A $0.3 billion. Investment presentations have been held in Sydney and Melbourne this week, with Hong Kong next.

Time: 2015-08-04 08:46 | Author: Xiong Da | Source: First Agricultural Economic