Kiwis eat more chicken than lamb, beef or pork

The New Zealand poultry industry has two reasons to celebrate: there has been a huge jump in poultry consumption over the past 15 years, and the industry is also on the mark when it comes to consumer prices and competition.

A new report, commissioned the Poultry Industry Association New Zealand (PIANZ) and prepared by finance and economics analysts Charles River Associates, says every New Zealander eats 40kg of chicken every year, compared with 15kg 15 years ago.

The report says chicken has become so popular because of cost competitiveness, constantly improving quality, increased variety of products, and its status as a healthy meat.

Growth in consumption has averaged 6.4% over the past 12 years with poultry outstripping beef and veal as New Zealand most popular meat in 2000, according to statistics from Meat and Wool New Zealand's economic service and the industry groups.

Last year poultry meat sales totalled $514 million, or 37.6% of the total sheepmeat, beef, poultry and pigmeat consumption, and 23.8% of total retail meat expenditure. Nearly half the chicken is bought at the supermarket.

Editor WorldPoultry