A new deal signed with China on Friday saw the number of processors permitted to send refrigerated, chilled and vacuum-packed beef cuts to China will more than triple.
With limitations lifted on the export of chilled beef cuts and fresh beef there are plenty of opportunities for beef processors to create value added products for export.
“Australian chilled beef exports to China are already worth $400 million a year,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in the announcement.
“More companies will also be eligible to export frozen beef. Total beef exports, overall, are worth around a billion dollars a year,” Mr Turnbull said.
Currently, while there are 47 meat processing establishments and 23 cold stores which can export meat to China, only 11 can export chilled meat. Through the signing of this new agreement, all 47 are now approved to export fresh red meat and the number allowed to export chilled meat is rising to 70 with the potential for eight more to join.
“China is already Australia’s largest sheep meat market, worth $240 million in 2016, and is our fourth largest beef market worth $670 million in the same year,” Mr Barnaby Joyce said.
The agreement also increases Australia’s access for tripe and offal exports from sheep, beef and goatmeat to China as well as trade in donkey meat and donkey skins.
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