What’s China’s beef now? South American meat producers stake claim in Chinese market amid trade disruptions with Australia
- Major beef exporters such as Argentina and Brazil see Chinese market as potential cash cow
- Rising demand for cheaper meat products in China, coupled with major herd shortages Down Under, open the door for other nations to beef up sales to China in coming years
Australian and New Zealand beef are commonplace in Chinese kitchens, supermarkets and e-commerce platforms, but China’s increasingly discerning diners have, until recently, been hard-pressed to find much beef from other major beef exporters such as Argentina and Brazil.
Chinese diners do not traditionally consider South American beef varietals to be in the same “premium” league as those from Australia or New Zealand, according to Aoniubao, a Beijing-based online merchant that sells meat products on e-commerce platform JD.com.
“It’s just not as tender [as Australian steak]. You may find the texture a bit dry and tough,” a company representative said, declining to be named. “But the quality is good, and the price [is competitive].”
Brazilian and Argentinian beef are traditionally sold as beef jerky or sliced beef in China, added Gerrard Liu, co-founder of Chinese research and consulting firm Meat International Group.
But Aoniubao, which specialises in delivering beef anywhere in Beijing within two hours of an order being placed, recently started offering Brazilian steaks, as there has been a rising demand for cheaper beef.
Due to [lockdowns and business interruptions] caused by the pandemic in Europe, the main suppliers in Argentina and Uruguay were forced to seek new markets and have redirected their 2020 premium beef production to the Chinese market at a lower price
Retail prices of Australian beef in China are often 50 per cent more expensive than South American beef. On Aoniubao, 500g (1.1 pounds) of Brazilian steak currently sells for 75 yuan (US$11.50), versus 112 yuan for the same amount of New Zealand beef, and about 140 yuan for Australian Wagyu rib-eye steak.
