Study says Brazil could expand further through hotpot chains and digital retailers
The main segment currently served by Brazilian beef exports in China is the food service industry. Brazilian product is already estimated to account for more than 60% of the beef used in casual dining restaurants, fast-food chains, and hotpot restaurants, according to a study by Leandro Feijó, Brazil’s agricultural attaché in Beijing.
The study suggests Brazil could further expand its presence in the Chinese market through partnerships with Chinese hotpot chains and both physical and digital supermarket retailers, as well as by selling meat-and-vegetable kits for home hotpot preparation, increasing visibility on food delivery apps, and promoting tasting campaigns through livestreaming platforms.
Chongqing is one of China’s four municipalities directly administered by the central government, alongside Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. With more than 3,000 years of history, the city was built along the banks of the Yangtze River. It has more than 20,000 bridges and viaducts connecting its multilayered urban structure, where streets and plazas rise dozens of meters above ground level and even a metro line literally passes through a residential building.
A key growth engine for central and western China, Chongqing has expanded rapidly and is now home to more than 32 million people across its urban core and districts spread over 80,000 square kilometers, an area roughly comparable to the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.
But hotpot is not the only avenue for growth in Brazilian beef consumption in China. During an event hosted by the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association, or ABIEC, in Chongqing, renowned chef Mao Xiaojun presented reinterpretations of traditional Chinese dishes using Brazilian beef, including spring rolls and Sichuan-style multi-flavored beef, inspired by neighboring Sichuan province. Mao owns the Silver Pot restaurant in Chengdu, which earned a Michelin star for four consecutive years.
“These are dishes that combine global ingredients with local cuisine. It is the globalization of cuisine,” he said while preparing the recipes. “Brazilian beef has excellent quality,” he added.
Brazilian beef is also widely used by China’s food processing industry. Chongqing Lilai Food is one example. The company, visited by Valor, produces dried beef snacks, a product considered part of China’s intangible cultural heritage. With annual revenue of about R$370 million, Lilai Food leads its local market. In addition to retail operations, the company has built a strong digital sales strategy through apps such as TikTok and WeChat.
Several Brazilian companies export forequarter cuts to the factory, located 25 kilometers from downtown Chongqing. Inventory at the facility included products from at least three Brazilian meatpackers: Naturafrig, MBRF, and Minerva.
*By Rafael Walendorff, Globo Rural — Chongqing, China
Source: Valor International
https://valorinternational.globo.com/