WINDHOEK – Namibia’s world-renowned meat could soon be heading for China’s high-end restaurants and hotels after the Namibian Meat Board spearheaded a business mission to Hong Kong as part of its market diversification initiative for the country’s meat and meat products.
The mission, comprising officials from the Namibian government and the private sector, was aimed at obtaining information on the requirements for meat imports as well as market information on the meat sector in Hong Kong.
The Namibian delegation convened meetings with officials from the Centre for Food Safety (CFS), which is a government institution within the Food and Environment Hygiene Department (FEHD), responsible for import and export control of food products in Hong Kong. It emanated from
the meetings that there are a number of legal and administrative requirements that Namibia needs to comply with in order to access the Hong Kong meat market. One of these requirements is that Namibia obtain approval to export meat and meat products to Hong Kong.
Although the Namibian Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) has been recognised as a competent authority by the FEHD, approval to export meat to Hong Kong has not yet been given. In this regard, the DVS submitted completed animal health questionnaires to obtain such export approval as soon as possible. Other import requirements are contained in the food labelling legislation, nutrition labelling requirements and pesticide control legislation.
Hong Kong has a negligible agriculture sector and most food products are imported. It is a free port and does not charge any customs duties on imports, except for a few products. Competition from low-cost and high-volume suppliers such as Brazil, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zeeland and Japan is very high. Namibian exporters have to be very cautious in their market entry strategy to target specific market segments that hold greater potential for success and where Namibian products can obtain reasonable returns.
An interesting observation is that Hong Kong consumers spend a large share of their monthly food budgets on meals bought away from home like in restaurants, hotels and fast-food outlets. Eating out is part of the Hong Kong culture and lifestyle.
Considering the current competition from low-cost meat producers, the price sensitivities of Hong Kong consumers and the possible low volume of supplies from Namibia, a possible target market segment for Namibian meat products could be high-end restaurants and hotels.
Recent food safety scares, aging populations and space limitations are driving food consumption trends towards healthier, more convenient and smaller packaged products. The hormone-free and free-range production of Namibian meat can therefore be a good selling point.
Delegations from the Chinese government have visited Namibia twice this year, and the latest Namibian mission to visit Hong Kong could spearhead the breakthrough Namibian producers are hoping for to proudly display their meat products in Hong Kong.
By Deon Schlechter