Uruguay beef sector hails Chinese export success

By Jonathan Dyson

- Last updated on GMT

Uruguayan beef is popular in China
Uruguayan beef is popular in China

Related tags European union International trade Spanish language Beef Livestock

The executive director of Uruguay’s intensive cattle producers’ association, AUPCIN, has said that he expects the rapid growth in sales of Uruguayan beef to China to continue over the next few years, due to a number of significant competitive advantages and an aggressive promotional strategy.

Sales of Uruguayan beef to China in the first eight months of 2013 leapt 83.4% on the same period last year to an FOB value of USD175 million, according to figures released recently by Uruguay’s national meat institute INAC, which said that China is now the biggest market for Uruguayan beef in terms of volume.

INAC said that when measured in tonnes, China accounted for 24.1% of Uruguay’s beef exports in the period from January to August 2013, followed by NAFTA countries (the USA, Canada and Mexico), with 19.7%, and the European Union (EU), with 15.2%. However, in terms of value, the EU remains the biggest market, with 24.6%, compared with China’s 18.6%, and NAFTA’s 16.2%.

AUPCIN executive director Alvaro Ferrés told Globalmeatnews.com​ said that Uruguayan beef is popular in China because it is a natural product produced without antibodies or growth promoters, and producers use a tight traceability system. He noted that all heads of cattle in Uruguay are registered with an individual identification code, so any beef cut can be traced from the supermarket or butcher back to the farm where it was reared.

“Here in Uruguay we have very good cattle, and we focus a lot on the welfare of the animals,”​ he said. “With the quality of our meat and our traceability system, all this helps to add value to our product, and makes the difference compared with meat from other countries.”

He added: “INAC is doing a very good job promoting Uruguayan beef in China. It is appearing at lots of trade fairs and visiting restaurants, explaining to customers how we produce our meat. I think the proportion of Uruguayan beef going to China will continue to grow, and it will prove to be a very good market for us.”

INAC statistics noted that the share of Uruguayan beef exports by volume to the EU fell from 20% to 15% in 2012/13 compared to the previous year, although the EU accounted for 25% of sales by value as it purchases expensive and prime cuts. INAC said that by volume, the US and Canada accounted for 20% of exports in 2012/3, with Russia taking 10%, down from 30% the previous year, Israel 10%, and south American Mercosur trade zone and associate countries around 15%. Uruguay is the world’s sixth biggest exporter of beef.

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