IN MARKET GROWING DEMAND Red meat: MENA attractive MENA cities identified The Middle East and North Study is underway in a separate Africa (MENA) region research program. is large, diverse and MLA worked with GlobalData, complex. Some definitions of starting with a list of 31 MENA cities MENA include 36 countries, for which 58 data points (covering but most only include 19. The political, economic, social, region comprises some of technological, environmental the world’s richest countries and legal factors) were collected. and some of the poorest. It’s These were weighted according MENA’s population: also a highly, and increasingly, to importance to, and impact 450 million competitive market, with many on, Australian red meat imports. countries supplying red meat This resulted in a comprehensive By 2025 it is forecast to be to the region. database with some cities profiled 500 million. for projections to 2020. One of MLA’s challenges has been Australian beef exports to to find ways of helping exporters Phase two of the research MENA (2017): navigate this complexity, giving involved drilling into the data of them insights to help identify and the six cities identified as “most • volume – 29,200 tonnes explore opportunities. attractive”. This will now be shared • value – $263.3 million with the Australian red meat • 59% was chilled and 49% frozen While MLA does include two to industry targeting MENA markets three key MENA markets in its and will set the direction for MLA’s Australian sheepmeat exports annual Global Consumer Tracker investment in the region. to MENA (2017): study, this was not considered to be the right vehicle for conducting Stakeholders now have access to • volume – 106,691 tonnes more in-depth consumer research information in several key areas: • value – $782.2 million in specific cities across the 1. WHOthey should consider as • 68% were as whole carcases MENA region. their target customers and what • 65% was lamb and 35% Enter the MENA Attractive they’re looking for was mutton Cities Study – a component 2. WHERE opportunities are of the $17 million, three-year likely to be of highest and Household earnings Insights2Innovation project, part fastest-growing value (which of the Australian Government’s cities and which retail and • 3.2 million households earn Rural R&D for Profit program foodservice channels) more than US$35,000/year (see story on page 10). The 3. WHAT products they should • 6 million households forecast to objective of the MENA Attractive consider offering (species, earn more than US$35,000/year Cities Study – conducted in categories, cuts and segments) by 2021 2017–18 – was to capture market 4. HOW they can most effectively insights, identify high-value communicate their offers opportunities in export markets in ways that appeal to their Want to know more? Check out for the next three to five years and target customers and optimise mla.com.au/market-snapshots for a help producers and their supply their competitiveness in the more in-depth look at key markets. chain partners respond effectively marketplace (messaging to those opportunities. priorities, points of A China Attractive Cities Study differentiation to leverage, was conducted in 2016, and packaging design elements an ASEAN Attractive Cities to consider). 47