Beef from Mato Grosso expands its market share in Peru and targets Asia via a new Pacific route.

Beef from Mato Grosso is seeking to expand its market share in Peru and, at the same time, is undergoing a logistical transformation that could bring the state's production closer to Asian consumers. Both of these developments were on the radar of Mato Grosso's participation in Expoalimentaria, held last week in Lima, Peru.

During the three days of Expoalimentaria, Mato Grosso beef was presented to buyers through tastings. Chef Carlos Miranda prepared cuts such as ribeye, flank steak, rump cap, and sirloin, showcasing different possibilities for using beef protein.

Held between September 23rd and 25th, Expoalimentaria is considered the main business platform for the food industry in Latin America, bringing together companies, buyers, and professionals from the sector. The 2025 edition attracted over 31,000 visitors and generated US$$ 905 million in expected business deals.

One of the focuses for livestock farming in Mato Grosso is the Peruvian market itself. The country has 34.1 million inhabitants and still has a relatively low consumption of beef. Studies on the market indicate an average of approximately 6 kilos per inhabitant per year, while in Lima consumption reaches 8.31 kilos.

The profile opens up opportunities primarily for sales targeted at higher value-added niches, such as restaurants, hotels, and higher-income consumers. For small and medium-sized meat processing plants in Mato Grosso, Peru can function as a complementary market for building new commercial relationships, without the need to compete solely on large volumes.

Besides the Peruvian consumer market, another strategic point is the country's location. Peru has been investing in infrastructure to consolidate itself as a link between South America and Asia, a movement that gained momentum with the opening of the Port of Chancay on the Pacific coast.

For the meatpacking industry in Mato Grosso, this new logistics infrastructure opens up a discussion that goes beyond sales to Peruvian consumers. In the medium and long term, land corridors connected to Pacific ports could represent an alternative for the flow of Brazilian agribusiness products destined for Asia.

“Participating in Expoalimentaria allows us to work on two fronts. Peru is a market that can offer opportunities for meat processing plants seeking to serve specific niches, especially restaurants and consumers who value differentiated cuts. At the same time, we need to keep up with this logistical transformation that is occurring in the country, with a port infrastructure aimed at bringing South America closer to Asian markets,” says the Projects Director of the Mato Grosso Institute of Meat (Imac), Bruno de Jesus Andrade.