Unpacking the Global Meat & Poultry Market

This article is brought you by our Knowledge Partner Daymon

Global and Local Context

Poultry is the most consumed meat globally, followed by pork and beef. While the USA, Brazil and China are the largest markets for poultry and beef, Hong Kong, Brazil and Argentina has the highest consumption per capita of poultry. New Zealand, Argentina and Brazil are the top three origins for beef (Euromonitor).

Looking at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia specifically, the country ranks fifth in poultry consumption per capita worldwide and leads in the MEA region (Euromonitor). In fact, over 70% of poultry production in the region came from KSA in 2022 (Mintec).

As a leading industry, the poultry sector benefits from direct support from the national government, with a strong focus on production process optimisation. Including the various production stages, from fattening to egg fertilisation, there is a national goal to boost self-sufficiency on broiler chicken production up to 80% during 2025 (Saudipedia).

Beef is often preferred by younger consumers or expats, more in tune with Western culinary trends. Despite some positive progress over the years, the country is still building expertise on beef to better cater to those more modern consumers.

In parallel, there are also some challenges with developing a consistent beef production industry, especially concerning water and animal feed availability. Nevertheless, red meat preferences for the majority of Saudi Arabians fall into lamb, mutton or camel, the latter being especially reserved for special occasions.

CONSUMER TRENDS

Across regions, there has been a strong move towards healthier, less processed solutions. Aligned with the Flexitarian diet, consumers are trying to reduce their meat consumption on one hand, while on the other, the meat they choose has more quality, is less processed and closer to more traditional cut types.

Aligned with those trends, the MEA region has been witnessing an increase in free from and clean label options, providing high-quality products in different cursor formats.

In the Saudi market, for instance, some product examples include 100% Chicken Breast Nuggets from Americana Quality, free from hormones, trans fat or artificial colours; Mild Spicy Jalapeño Broasted Chicken Pieces, with premium quality meat, from farm to table and free from artificial flavours or colours; or Siniora’s Beef Burgers, 100% free from additives or preservatives.