Market opportunities for Thai beef cattle exports to Yunnan province, China

The study described beef cattle production, demand, consumption, and prices in ASEAN and China. It presented the internal and external factors of market opportunities for Thai beef cattle exports to China. The Thai domestic fresh beef market is divided into local, middle, and premium markets. There are rised in expectation about constant growth in premium markets, and the consumers are paid a premium for high-quality beef products. In 2015, Thailand and China showed lower population of beef cattle compared with demand. However, China kept the highest market prices in both local and modern markets: 330–420 and 500–560 baht/kg, respectively. From 2011 to 2015, beef consumption in China is increased by approximately 12 percent (808 metric tons). Similarly, live beef cattle imports in China is increased by 35,097 head, which 26 percent increased. In the same period, Thailand showed a dramatic rise in exports by 87,602 head, which 68 percent increased. The rapid increasing in beef imports in China showed that Chinese domestic beef consumption is accelerated and consumer demand for beef continues to grow and great opportunity for the Thai beef cattle export business exists. Thailand’s efficient production system matches the strong consumer demand for a premium market, especially for a Chinese health-conscious market. By analyzing all the factors from the SWOT matrix, the results revealed that IFE was 2.534, EFE was 2.359, and the total weight scores was 4.893, which indicated a significant opportunity for Thai beef cattle exports by minimizing weaknesses.