Demand rising for quality meat from New Zealand

A growing appetite for red meat in China has made the country the largest market for sheep meat exports, and the second-largest for beef exports from New Zealand.

Tim Ritchie, chief executive of the Meat Industry Association of New Zealand, said on Tuesday that demand for quality meat has evolved so rapidly over the last few years that many New Zealand exporters are finding it hard to keep up with demand from China.

Demand for other meat items, mainly used in Chinese cooking such as in hotpots, is also on the rise, he said, but significantly rising incomes mean more customers are spending on packaged meat particularly, for home use and by restaurants and hotels.