Red meat demand remains strong as people are forced to stay, and cook, at home

Red meat producers are moving toward a herd rebuilding phase, and with the current strong demand for red meat, despite higher retail prices, farmers are receiving higher farm-gate prices.

- Pieter Dempsey

This was according to Gerhard Schutte, CEO of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO), who said that beef and sheep meat prices had increased 21% and 23% respectively at the end of 2020 compared with prices for the corresponding period in 2019.

“[Prices have increased because] consumers [are] spending more time cooking their own food and red meat has played a big role in this,” he said.