FACTORS AFFECTING BEEF DEMAND

Demand for beef in any country is a combination of many cultural, demographic and economic factors. The total supreme level of beef consumption is the combination of total population and per capita consumption. Per capita beef consumption demonstrates the underlying cultural preferences for beef consumption and reflects relative preferences for meat and specifically for beef. The demand for meat and meat production continues to increase due to population growth, urbanization and rising per capita income. Poultry is one of the organized and important segments of agriculture sub segment of Pakistan. At present, poultry contributes 40% of the total meat consumption and is the cheapest meat available. Demand for bovine/ovine meat is present throughout the year but peaks hugely during the religious season. As they are more expensive, chicken meat is consumed as a substitute, which affects the demand for bovine/ovine meat to a great extent Naseem, (K. k., & Khan, A. Z. 2011). At the other extreme are countries with relatively low per capita beef consumption but big populations that result in large total beef consumption. The most extreme example of this is India with an estimated per capita consumption of 1.7 kilograms per capita spread across a huge population. Of course, average per capita consumption in India front the reality of a large Hindu population that does not consume beef but the low average per capita does capture the fact that overall bias for beef consumption in India is low and likely to stay low. China also has low per capita beef consumption across a huge population that makes China in total a large beef consuming nation. Beef is the most consumed meat in China and beef is a relative newcomer with considerable apparent potential. Other factors, discussed below, likely explain both China’s current low level of beef consumption and future potential. Japan’s relatively low and stable per capita beef consumption is a reflection of the specific role of beef in Japan’s heavily seafood oriented diet.