DENVER — The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is leading the first trade mission to Luanda, Angola, from Feb. 26-29, which US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Africa Representative Matt Copeland is participating in with the support of the Beef Checkoff Program.

Copeland said that while Angola has had its share of economic challenges, it is well positioned for growth for demand of US red meat products.

“From our side, Angola is an important market,” Copeland said. “It has gone through some challenges, but in terms of developed customer base, developed importer base, and people that we already know and trust and have trading histories with, there are a few in those markets that have been incumbent there for quite a long time.”

With a wide disparity in terms of wealth, the Angola market is well positioned for premium cuts of beef as well as underutilized US beef cuts and beef variety meat.

USMEF noted that there are opportunities in Angola’s higher-end restaurant and hospitality sectors, while there is also a need for nutrition.

“There is some buffalo meat from India, the variety meats are there,” Copeland said. “And traditionally when they are there, it’s important for us to take the American product to that market. It’s more consistent, higher quality, and it’s more reliable. And obviously it serves that nation in making sure they can provide better nutrition.”

USDA’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), which will be online later this year, specifically targets Africa. Copeland explained how the RAPP funding could help build momentum for US beef in a developing market like Angola.

“With the momentum RAPP funding offers, we can go into a market like that and educate to a different degree certainly,” he said. “And then you get to start to shift the consumer mindset, one towards one of the best and most reliable cold chain supply systems in the world, and secondly, to unbelievable sustainable, consistent quality. We can support that message over a longer period of time and impress upon the minds of the local folk just how important including some of these products in their diet will be.”

In 2022, Angola was the seventh largest African market for US exporters. It was the largest US poultry market in Africa and the sixth largest globally, importing over $232 million of US poultry and poultry products.