Beef price

Beef

Beef is the meat of mature cattle. It is obtained from maturing, specially selected beef breeds. High-quality meat is characterized by velvety, firm, fine-grained texture and bright deep rich. It contains fat well distributed smooth and creamy fat. Depending on the age of the cattle, bones might be porous, soft and red, or hard and white. Aging significantly improves the taste and tenderness of the meat. It is achieved by one common method; the carcass is hung for exactly two weeks in temperature no higher than 2 degrees Celcius. This method encourages physical changes in the muscle tissue and, as a result, improves the quality of the meeting.

Meat quality is usually marked with grading standards which are more or less the same all over the world because there is a huge international beef trade industry. The quality of meat could be described as prime, choice, good, commercial, utility, cutter, and canner. Commercial grades are usually achieved from mature cows. Utility, cutter, and canner often refer to processed meat and meat products. Meat production also supplies by-products markets such as leather manufacture.

The largest beef consumers in the world are Argentina, Uruguay, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. It is not really popular in Southeast Asia, Africa, and India, mostly due to religious reasons. For example, the Hindu religion forbids the consumption of beef. Beef is not quite popular in lots of Asian cuisines such as Korean or Japanese, however, one of the most expensive beef types is produced in Kobe, Japan, where cattle is carefully taken care of. It is massaged and few with special dietary supplements in order to achieve the highest quality of meat.

Butchering techniques and practices are different around the world what results in many different names for the different cuts. The most popular is of course steaks and rib roast. Other cuts are less popular but used commonly in many cuisines all over the world. For example, in France, beef is the main ingredient of a dish known as pot-au-feu. Beef is also used to prepare very popular dishes such as burgers.

Global beef production

The global production of beef has been on the rise in recent years. In 2013, the world produced 71 million tonnes of beef, up from 69 million tonnes in 2012. The top five beef-producing countries are Brazil, India, the United States, China, and Australia. Brazil is the largest beef producer in the world, accounting for over a quarter of the total global production. The country produced 18.6 million tonnes of beef in 2013, up from 17.8 million tonnes in 2012. India is the second largest beef producer, with an annual production of 3.9 million tonnes. The United States is the third largest beef producer, with an annual production of 2.4 million tonnes. China is the fourth largest beef producer, with an annual production of 2.1 million tonnes. Australia is the fifth largest beef producer, with an annual production of 1.3 million tonnes. The global production of beef has been on the rise in recent years due to increased demand from major importers such as China and the United States. In 2013, the world produced 71 million tonnes of beef, up from 69 million tonnes in 2012. The top five beef-producing countries are Brazil, India, the United States, China, and Australia. Brazil is the largest beef producer in the world, accounting for over a quarter of the total global production. The country produced 18.6 million tonnes of beef in 2013, up from 17.8 million tonnes in 2012. India is the second largest beef producer, with an annual production of 3.9 million tonnes. The United States is the third largest beef producer, with an annual production of 2.4 million tonnes. China is the fourth largest beef producer, with an annual production of 2.1 million tonnes. Australia is the fifth largest beef producer, with an annual production of 1.3 million tonnes. The global demand for beef has been on the rise in recent years, due to increased economic growth and population growth in major importers such as China and India. The world's largest beef importer is Japan, which imported 1.4 million tonnes of beef in 2013, up from 1.2 million tonnes in 2012. The second largest beef importer is the United States, which imported 1.2 million tonnes of beef in 2013, up from 1.1 million tonnes in 2012. China is the third largest beef importer, with an annual import volume of 0.9 million tonnes.