Africa: “We (want) the meats.”
Beef, specifically. And the U.S. could be poised to provide.
There are several factors at play here. The African population continues to expand (thus bumping up demand for affordable protein), and some trade regulations have been softened recently. Plus, Africa’s growing middle class has started demanding higher end beef cuts.
In other words… it might be time to beef up U.S. investment.
According to Matt Copeland, the U.S. Meat Export Federation representative in Africa, the USMEF, USDA, and Beef Checkoff Program have all been working together to “lay the groundwork” with importers, retailers, and suppliers on the continent.
Soundbite: “There is a huge volume of consumers. Nigeria’s over 200 million people. By 2100 that’s the largest country in the world by population potentially, and China going the other way in terms of their demographic hubs. It’s such an important base for us to be looking into.” – Copeland
Turning over a new leaf beef: Through May of 2022, the U.S. exported $5B of beef products globally—but only $8M to Africa
So, moving forward? The U.S. beef sector ignoring the potential export markets throughout Africa could be a major missed steak.