中國牛肉是全球知名的、安全可追溯的！這就是我對(duì)于中國肉牛業(yè)的壹愿景！ Beef in China: An Incredible Opportunity In 1980, only 100,000 tonnes of beef was consumed in China and this made up 4% of total meat consumption. By 2015, total beef meat consumption had grown 60-fold (over 7 million tonnes) and beef made up 8.6% of total consumption . Beef is becoming increasingly popular in China, and beef consumption is growing by about 5% per annum. In comparison to Western beef consumption levels, Chinese beef consumption is still at a much lower level.Strong fundamentalsThere are strong underlying factors to suggest that Chinese consumers will continue to consume more beef. Firstly, urbanization and a growing middle class are key drivers of increased beef consumption. Secondly, Chinese diets are changing and as the Chinese retail restaurant service sector continues to improve, more consumers are willing to pay a premium for high quality beef either in Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Western cuisines. With a population of 1.4 billion, this is a perfect storm for beef consumption. What a time to be in the beef industry in China!Where is China’s beef coming from?Currently, China’s beef comes from three sources. The first source imports from certified sources, mainly South America (Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina-lower price point) and Australasia (Australia and New Zealand-good brands and free trade advantage). The second source of beef in China is through gray channels, or more bluntly, smuggled beef. A portion comes through Hong Kong, and although these illegal activities have been curbed, they still occur. The majority of beef smuggling goes through the Vietnamese border. Because of India’s major dairy herd, and a lack of domestic beef demand, India has become a major trader of beef globally. Of course, China does not allow India to export beef directly, therefore, culled Indian cows’ meat ends up in Vietnam and is smuggled over the border. Industry experts said that almost 3 million tonnes of beef was smuggled over the border into China last year, which signals the massive domestic demand. This smuggling racket is a huge threat to the Chinese beef industry. Chinese consumers demand food safety, traceability and security and if there were some public scandals about this rampant beef smuggling, it could turn consumers away from beef. Short-term business gains should be fought and it is imperative that the Chinese and Vietnamese governments work together to deal with this significant problem. China’s domestic beef sector is regarded as the third largest in the world, but compared to the US, China’s beef sector is highly fragmented. To put this in context, the top four beef processors in the US slaughter 75% of the cattle. In China, the top 4 slaughter approximately 1% of the cattle. Most of China’s beef is coming from small, inefficient back-yard operations. There is change under-way in China and in the past number of years, the beef sector in China has begun its transformation to scaled farming and a modern supply chain. There have been growing pains and Chinese beef companies have struggled with business models, with animal husbandry and with financing. With such potential for beef consumption, the government has also begun to give more support to the Chinese beef sector, in order to scale up and modernize. This should help in the reform. China’s beef sector lacks talent, lacks dialogue and the correct models for growth. To me, an industry in transition is a fantastic opportunity for innovation, for new partnerships and for new financing models, and this is the perfect time for Chinese beef farming groups to embrace and innovate around new technologies for future growth. Alltech is ready and wants to work with you in changing the industry. One vision for the future:In 2025, as beef becomes an ever more important staple of the Chinese diet, Chinese consumers have access to beef from around the world, with different cuts, tastes and brands to cater to the different markets. China will boast one of the most efficient beef sectors in the world, utilizing co-products and the latest in feeding technology. The market has consolidated and the top 4 Chinese beef companies account for almost 50% market share. Chinese beef is globally renowned, with safe and traceable products from farm to chopstick! That is my One Vision for the Chinese beef sector!
