AUSTRALIAN beef exports to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) look set to increase in coming years as consumer tastes change, incomes grow and a cold chain is developed to handle chilled beef. That’s the message from Meat and Livestock Australia’s (MLA) international business manager – MENA, Nick Meara, who provided a market snapshot as part of MLA’s Global Markets Forum at Beef Australia 2018 in Rockhampton. “We represent about 4pc of the beef market up there.”Mr Meara said 80pc of MENA’s beef came from Brazil and India, and Australian beef was more than double the price of Brazilian product. Mr Meara said MENA countries had a young and diverse population which was travelling for work and leisure, leaving their home countries to study, and returning with altered protein-consumption ideals. He said building the Australian brand relied on the Halal message to reinforce trust in Australia as a supplier of certified beef.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 10, 2018 05:14 UTC