Beef and buffalo meat market in Congo

Earlier Report Observations

The beef and buffalo meat market in Congo grew substantially from 8 425 t in 2018 to over 12 000 t by 2023, with imports more than doubling to meet demand. This expansion was facilitated by a global increase in beef supply from major exporters like Australia, Argentina, and India, which improved availability and likely supported import volumes. Concurrently, the market continued to rely heavily on imports due to a historically limited local cattle herd, a structural feature noted earlier in the period.

Private investment aimed at developing local agro-industry emerged, notably with the establishment of large ranches such as Kila and Olenga, holding around 10 300 head of cattle. However, domestic production remained relatively stable and did not significantly alter the import dependency. Consumer behavior was simultaneously influenced by the widespread availability and lower price of bushmeat, which remained a tolerated alternative despite legal prohibitions, shaping protein consumption patterns in urban areas.

Regulatory development in the meat sector progressed slowly, with sanitary regulations from the CEMAC region not yet fully implemented and key decrees, such as those on wildlife processor fees, pending adoption. These gaps in formal oversight persisted alongside global market fluctuations, including inflationary pressures on feed costs, which affected international supply conditions without halting the overall market growth through the period.

Production beef and buffalo meat in Congo

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of beef and buffalo meat, 2017-2020

World map of production of beef and buffalo meat, 2017-2020

In 2020, Congo produced 5 566 tonnes of beef and buffalo meat, showing virtually no change from the previous year. Looking back to 2017, production decreased by 4.5% over the period to 2020, which translates to an average annual decline of 1.5%. The lowest production level was recorded in 2018 at 5 444 tonnes, which also saw the largest year-on-year drop of 6.6%. In contrast, 2019 experienced the biggest increase, with production rising by 2.6%.

Annual dynamics of production in Congo in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports beef and buffalo meat from Congo

Exports in kind, t

In 2019, Congo's exports of beef and buffalo meat totaled 3 tonnes, remaining relatively stable compared to 2018. From 2017 to 2019, exports fell sharply by 73.6%, averaging an annual decrease of 35.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Congo in kind, 2017-2020, t

Between 2017 and 2020, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo dominated Congo's beef and buffalo meat exports in volume, together accounting for 94.9% of the total.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Congo in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

In 2019, the value of Congo's beef and buffalo meat exports reached 13 thousand US dollars, showing little change from the previous year. Over the 2017-2019 period, export value declined by 40.6%, with a compound annual growth rate of -15.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Congo in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

From 2017 to 2020, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were the two main destinations for Congo's beef and buffalo meat exports in value terms, together making up 75.2% of the total.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Congo in value, 2017-2020

Imports beef and buffalo meat to Congo

Imports in kind, t

In 2020, Congo imported 3 504 tonnes of beef and buffalo meat, down 19.7% from the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 period, imports decreased by 45.4%, with an average annual decline of 18.2%. The lowest import volume was in 2018 at 2 982 tonnes, which also saw the steepest year-on-year drop of 53.5%. In 2019, imports rebounded with the largest increase of 46.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Congo in kind, 2017-2020, t

Between 2017 and 2020, India was the nearly exclusive source for Congo's beef and buffalo meat imports in volume, holding a 92.2% share of total flows.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Congo in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

In 2020, Congo's imports of beef and buffalo meat were valued at 10 761 thousand US dollars, a decrease of 15.8% year-on-year. From 2017 to 2020, import value fell by 43.2%, with a compound annual growth rate of -17.2%. The lowest value was recorded in 2018 at 9 582 thousand US dollars, which also experienced the biggest decline of 49.4%. In 2019, imports saw the largest increase, rising by 33.4%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Congo in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Over the 2017-2020 period, India remained the top supplier of beef and buffalo meat to Congo in value terms, accounting for 85.3% of total imports, while the remainder was distributed among various other countries.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Congo in value, 2017-2020