Confidence still in red meat

They could be accused by farmers of overoptimism, but farming leaders remain upbeat about the future of red meat production, while warning that investment was needed in marketing and markets diversified. M&WNZ chief executive Scott Champion told a recent SFF sheep and beef forum in Gore the fundamentals for red meat remained strong, and the number of affluent customers who wanted to eat red meat was growing. With the world's population expected to hit eight billion by 2030, global food production needed to double, and Mr Champion said while NZ could not feed the world, it had to decide exactly for who it was going to produce food reports The ODT. The population in existing red meat markets was static or falling, so it was likely new consumers would be in China, Central Asia and Africa. The consumption of beef in China between 2001 and 2006 grew faster than in the United States, he said. "Traditional markets will remain crucial, but opportunities will come from new markets." Another issue facing food producers was the loss of productive land, which meant new technology and efficiency would be crucial in the future. In 1966, the world's population was 3.5 billion and the area of productive farmland was just over 0.4ha per capita. In 2030, Mr Champion said the world's population was forecast to reach eight billion and the available area of productive farmland to fall to just over 0.15ha per capita. But it was not a case of grasping any technology, as consumers of New Zealand products were still likely to want food that was safe, ethically produced and could be traced back to the producer.