Food Focus Thailand Roadmap: Meat & Poultry Edition
The Signature Annual Event by Food Focus Thailand
Organized under two parallel tracks—Trend & Safety and Tech & Inno—this flagship event featured a full day of knowledge sharing and experience exchange with distinguished guest speakers from across the meat and poultry industry. As always, interactive activities and giveaways added excitement to the event.
Domestic and Export Market Overview: Meat & Poultry Products
Between 2020–2021, domestic consumption of meat products in Thailand showed signs of a slowdown. During the early months of 2020, COVID-19 drove a surge in demand due to household stockpiling. However, consumer purchasing power remained weak even after the lifting of lockdown measures. The food service sector also contracted due to a reduced customer base.
Looking forward, the reopening of the country and government stimulus efforts are expected to support recovery in consumption. Nevertheless, weak consumer spending is likely to persist, though a rebound may occur in the second half of 2021. Additionally, the growing popularity of alternative protein and vegan diets could shift consumption patterns away from traditional meat products.
Thailand’s Chicken Export Performance
In 2020, Thailand’s chicken exports contracted overall. Fresh and frozen chicken exports grew steadily in China, following the approval of 22 Thai poultry processing plants. However, processed chicken exports declined due to reduced demand from major markets like Japan and the EU. Emerging markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia saw increased demand for Thai chicken products.
In 2021, exports were expected to grow at a slower pace. Fresh and frozen chicken exports were anticipated to remain steady or dip slightly, while processed chicken products were projected to recover to positive growth. Key factors to monitor included:
- The economic recovery of trading partners
- Japan’s potential to resume hosting the Olympic Games
- Competitive dynamics in key export markets
- Non-tariff barriers (NTBs) from trade partners
- Thai baht currency fluctuations
Thailand’s effective control of COVID-19 and African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks has presented a strategic opportunity for increased meat exports—especially as countries like Brazil and the U.S. experienced temporary closures of processing facilities due to labor shortages and lockdowns.
