Population growth in West Africa will present further export opportunities for beef and lamb, according to EBLEX.
EBLEX export marketing executive Jonathan Eckley will this month lead a delegation of exporters to Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Benin to identify further market opportunities in the region. They will also meet with government representatives to discuss the complexities of trade in the region.
Ghana is currently the biggest market in the region, with beef and beef offal exports in 2012 up 66 per cent on 2011. The population is forecast to rise from an estimated 25.2m in 2013 to 29.3m in 2020 – a 16.4 per cent increase – and with it, increasing demand for protein.
Jonathan said: “Since August, 2010, we have gained access to more than 60 new markets, including those in West Africa. While the volume of exports to the region isn’t huge, we are heading in the right direction and Ghana is the key gateway to potentially increasing the volume of exports to the region.
“With the projected population growth in Ghana over the next seven years, demand is likely to increase. Our mission will help lay the foundations for long-term trade relationships in the region, underpin potential price volatility and help our producers maximise returns through full carcase utilisation.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
