Australian Pork Favoured in Singapore

AUSTRALIA - Pork from Australia is the top choice in Singapore.
calendar icon 17 June 2011
clock icon 3 minute read

Beef, lamb and chicken might be the most popular meats on the menu in Australia, but Stock Journal reports that for the country's near neighbours in Asia, it is pork and chicken – and in Singapore, the pork is Aussie pork.

Australia's gold-plated reputation as a clean food production source, our strict quarantine standards and our relatively close proximity to Singapore have provided local pig producers with valuable credibility and an important market outlet across the Java Sea.

Fresh, chilled Australian product represents about two-thirds of all supermarket pork sales in Singapore.

The figures were as high as 98 per cent five years ago but according to Australian Pork Limited's marketing general manager, Peter Haydon, current volumes – about 15,400 tonnes a year, worth A$63.5 million – are a more sustainable amount for Australia to supply profitably.

Australian sales into Asian had generally been growing quickly in recent years but from a smaller base than Singapore.

Hong Kong (worth $6 million a year) and Japan ($2 million) were significant while Korea and the Philippines were smaller export opportunities making notable growth spurts.

Mr Haydon said increasing volumes of competitively-priced frozen pork (from Brazil and North America) were creating more competition in Singapore, but the market had a clear preference for Australian product, even though it was more expensive.

He explained: "Singapore is very diligent about food health issues, and Australia is considered a supplier that fits well with their standards.

"They don't produce any food themselves so they tend to be particularly careful about maintaining tough standards on whatever comes in from outside."

Mr Haydon said apart from valuing Australia's biosecurity restrictions and clean, green production image, Australian pork also tasted best according to Singaporean consumer feedback.

He added: "Taste is a core reason for its popularity, although I can't explain exactly what it is about the taste that people prefer."

According to Stock Journal, alternative product choices, such as frozen meat or fresh pork from Indonesia do not rate as well as Australia exports, about 40 per cent of which are sourced from Western Australia, 25 per cent from Queensland and 20 per cent from New South Wales.

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