Market Overview - Poultry & Pork

As are at the end of August, it might be surprising, but we're already heading into the pre-Christmas season. While parts of the Americas and Europe are still enjoying their holidays, processes are somewhat slow. While it might seem premature to start thinking about winter stocking, this isn't the case for Africa. Over there, buyers are already planning their shopping lists. This urgency is driven by the transportation timeline, which spans around 50–60 days, and in some cases, up to 90 days from certain origins. To get containers in November and stocks full in December, now is the time. In this overview, we will cover the most demanded meat and offal items through poultry, pork, and select beef items.

Poultry Cuts

- Chicken Leg Quarters (CLQs) are a superstar among chicken cuts in Africa. As our focus narrows down to the best choices that align with a price range of $1,130–1,190 for small and medium CLQs from the USA, and $1,200 for big-sized CLQs from lesser-known brands. Brands such as Mountaire might fetch at $1,280–1,300 for large-sized CLQs. Presently, other major origins struggle to match such good pricing. While Brazil could offer quantities at $1,450, but these are limited due to contracts. Notably, EU's leading offers are far behind, hovering around $1,600–1,650, and hardly provoking interest, despite superb quality.

- Chicken Grilles, although less common compared to hen grillers, are available from various sources. Attractive prices of $1,600–1,650 can be secured for IWP 1.0-kilo birds, with a net load of 25 metric tons. Meanwhile, Argentina presents an option for grillers weighing 1.8-2.2 kilos per bird, priced at a minimum of $1,750, with a favorable net of 27.5 tons per load.

- Chicken Upper Backs are in high demand in Ghana, Angola, and other regions. EU nations like Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands stand as champions in this category, with prices between $850 and $900. Notably, both Brazil and the USA offer competitive prices for substantial volumes, ranging from $700 to $800.

- Whole Hens, IWP or bulk, continue to originate from their traditional sources: The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Brazil. The Netherlands offers start at $1,600–1,700. From Poland, we supply 8–11 naked birds per carton for $1,350. Heavier Polish hens ranging from 1.0 to 1.7 kg, costs fluctuate between $1,700 and $1,800, depending on net load and producer. Brazil's prices are around $1,400 to $1,450. Turkey and Ukraine also contribute, albeit to a lesser extent. Turkish products, Halal by default, are finding more acceptance in Africa, yet suppliers want $1,350–1,400. Ukraine takes the lead in economic options, offering naked hens from $1,280 to $1,320, depending on delivery port.

- Heavy Hen Leg Quarters hold all-time championship position in Africa's demand. Despite the persistent challenge of presenting the best offers, Poland's top-notch grade A come in at $1,550–1,650, Spain at $1,450–1,500, other EU options priced at $1,750–1,800. Brazil's offerings exceed $1,580, and Argentina's quotes mirror Brazil's range, quoting from $1,560 to $1,580 for the intended destinations.

Pork Cuts/Offal

- Pork Feet, front or hind, have experienced a shifting demand across Africa, favoring long-cut variations. Given production's widespread nature, it's important to note - suppliers offer hind or front feet between $850 to $930, contingent on container net weight and origin. This corresponds to grade A long-cut products. While short-cut feet, encompassing mixed hind and front variations, maintain a grade A status at $850, front feet alone come in at $870. A demand for B-grade feet exists, yet suppliers pricing them almost equivalently to A-grade, largely due to the latter's strong sales. This evolving scenario warrants close observation as we keep our valued audience updated.

- Pork Bones exhibit a wide range, but African markets tend to chose specific types. Tailbones without tails can be secured at $850, while tailbones with tails attached at slightly higher range of $1,100–1,180. Backbones and femur bones both settle around $750–800, while neck bones are marginally higher, with a price of $900–950.

- Half Heads without ears find common ground in destinations like Angola and C?te d'Ivoire. The summer season is optimal for sourcing, as suppliers accumulate stocks during this period of reduced consumption. Demand and price align during this timeframe. Currently, regular quantities from Poland are priced from $1,100 to $1,200. Meanwhile, a few remaining loads from Ukraine are available at the the price of $950-1,000.

Uts/Offal

Being generally out of scope for West Africa for meat cuts, but important for offal like livers, tripes and feet, beef supply is also following a trend of increasing. The news from regions that have recently been affordable brings us price increases. Argentina quote $1,280 and Uruguay offer us beef tripes at levels of $1,100–1,180, where CFR levels recently were not more $850–900. Beef livers can cost around $950–1,050, making it difficult to meet customer expectations. EU origins offer tripes options at not less than $1,250–1,350; livers would cost not less than $1,300–1,350. Such a situation forces us to look at other origins for improvement.

Thank you for reading. We look forward to your comments, questions, and ideas in this regard. Visit us at www.newmarineai.com or email us at [email protected]

The prices mentioned in this overview are based on CFR terms to the main destinations in West Africa. Prices shown in USD are based on the EUR to USD rate of 1.08.