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Chinese demand for chicken, fish will increase: Professor

A leading food marketing professor believes the newest Chinese focus will be on health, and export markets including Australia will see an increased demand for chicken and fish.

Professor of food marketing at London’s Imperial College, David Hughes, recently told the Global Agribusiness conference that China’s demand for poultry and fish will rise rapidly as it dominates diets there by 2020.

"Currently China has 52 per cent share of the global pork meat market," he said.

"With sheep and lambs its 40 per cent and fish is 30 per cent."

"There are seven billion consumers in our world and we are seeing two distinct consumer trends that are having a very high impact on food markets," he said.

"One is population growth and the other is the rate of household income growth.

"It's in the emerging countries that increasingly large numbers of households with growing incomes are transforming their diets by substituting cereal staples with meat and dairy products.

"But the demand for premium food will not be upwards and linear.

"Global food prices are more volatile and higher than they have been in the past.

"Households which spend a high proportion of their income to put food on the table, such as in the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, will be challenged to afford staples such as rice, let alone meat and dairy products.

"Much of the current optimism relies on a healthy and continuingly growing Chinese economy."

Hughes also commented on the changes to traditional shopping, saying a larger focus than ever before will continue to be placed on convenience, most notably, online.

"Walmart, for example, is struggling to get volumes through its stores and while value for money is keenly sought by most shoppers, it does not necessarily mean a quest for the lowest price," he said.

"Consumers are asking challenging questions about the values associated with production of a product, and the ethical standards applied and monitored by independent agencies.

"Consumers expect food and particularly premium products, to be produced in an ethical and sustainable way."

A new iPhone app, for example, allows consumers to further personalise their shopping experience.

"It means you can photograph want you want and your order will go to the retailer who will package and deliver the order to your home," Hughes said.

"This is a reality now and it is promoting the concept of eating out in your own home."

What do you think of Professor Hughes’ comments? Do you think Australia should focus on having enough poultry to meet China’s demands?
Are you seeing consumers head online more to buy food items?

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