Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is continuing to strengthen demand and deepen relationships for Australian beef, sheepmeat, goatmeat and livestock across Southeast Asia, supported by strong on ground promotion, senior level market engagement and an expanding footprint in both established and emerging markets.
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A key highlight was MLA\u2019s participation at Food & Hospitality Asia (FHA) in Singapore, where MLA coordinated a strong Australian red meat showcase.
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The MLA stand hosted 14 Australian exhibitors, with a further nine to ten Australian meat companies exhibiting within the broader Australian pavilion, reinforcing Australia\u2019s reputation as a reliable supplier of premium, safe and sustainably produced red meat.
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Throughout the event, MLA delivered a comprehensive activation program designed to drive preference for Australian red meat among chefs, buyers and foodservice operators.
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Activities included daily cooking demonstrations and tastings by Aussie Beef Mates and Lambassadors from around Southeast Asia, a chef forum attended by more than 100 trade guests to a full house, and a young chefs\u2019 culinary competition highlighting innovative applications of Australian red meat. These initiatives were supported by targeted industry networking and direct exhibitor engagement.
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MLA Managing Director Michael Crowley said Southeast Asia remains a critical growth region for Australia\u2019s red meat industry.
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\u201cSoutheast Asia accounts for around 15 per cent of Australia\u2019s global red meat and livestock exports, valued at approximately $3.4 billion in 2025,\u201d Mr Crowley said.
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\u201cMarkets including Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand continue to play a vital role in our global portfolio.
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\u201cOur focus is not only on promoting the quality and versatility of Australian beef and lamb, but on building long-term partnerships with customers and governments across the region.\u201d
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A further highlight was the Australian Red Meat Networking & Trade Appreciation Evening, which attracted around 380 guests from across Southeast Asia\u2019s trade, retail and foodservice sectors. The event showcased Australian beef and lamb through curated menus prepared by six Aussie Beef Mates and Lambassadors, tailored to regional dining trends and flavour preferences.
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\u201cEvents like this allow us to connect directly with the people who influence purchasing decisions and menus,\u201d Mr Crowley said.
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\u201cThey are instrumental in building trust and reinforcing Australia\u2019s reputation as a premium red meat supplier.\u201d
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MLA\u2019s engagement in Southeast Asia extends beyond trade shows, with broader marketing and brand activity supporting demand for Australian red meat. This includes Aussie Beef\u2019s recent partnership with leading ASEAN football competitions, leveraging the region\u2019s strong passion for sport to build brand awareness and consumer connection across multiple markets.
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MLA\u2019s commitment to the region was further reinforced through market visits to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia by Mr Crowley, General Manager \u2013 International Markets Andrew Cox, and MLA Board Member Russell Lethbridge.
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The visits focused on strengthening trade relationships, supporting industry partners and gaining insights into evolving market dynamics. In Indonesia, MLA also participated in the annual live export importer\u2013exporter meeting alongside the Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC) and LiveCorp.
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Mr Cox said Indonesia remains strategically important to Australia\u2019s red meat sector, particularly for cattle live export opportunities delivered through the Livestock Export Program (LEP).
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\u201cIndonesia is a key partner for Australia, and the live cattle trade plays an important role in supporting food security, employment and local supply chains,\u201d Mr Cox said.
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\u201cOur work through the LEP, which is jointly funded by LiveCorp, is focused on enhancing productivity and maintaining strong animal welfare outcomes while supporting sustainable, mutually beneficial trade.\u201d
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Beyond Indonesia, Mr Cox noted continued opportunity across Southeast Asia\u2019s growing foodservice and modern retail sectors, driven by rising incomes, urbanisation and changing consumer preferences.
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\u201cAustralian beef, sheepmeat and goatmeat are well positioned to meet demand for high quality protein,\u201d Mr Cox said.
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\u201cThis is supported by MLA\u2019s ongoing investment in education, promotion and market development.\u201d
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MLA continues to deliver education and retail and foodservice promotions with key trade partners, including menu promotion in Malaysia, Ranch Market in Indonesia and Go Wholesale (Central Retail Group) in Thailand, supported by Southeast Asia\u2019s network of Aussie Beef Mates and Lambassadors.
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This includes initiatives such as Ranch Market\u2019s ready to cook packs featuring Aussie Beef Mate recommendations.
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In Vietnam, MLA has worked with Golden Gate Group, a leading foodservice operator with more than 400 outlets, to incorporate Australian beef and lamb into menus. MLA technical experts, including Lambassadors from South Korea, supported cut optimisation and authentic menu development tailored to K BBQ dining formats.
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MLA is also extending its marketing footprint in Thailand, an increasingly important emerging market. Reflecting this opportunity, MLA will exhibit at THAIFEX in Bangkok for the first time, with the event running from 26\u201330 May 2026.
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\u201cThailand represents an exciting opportunity for Australian red meat,\u201d Mr Cox said.
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\u201cOur debut at THAIFEX underscores our commitment to building awareness and demand in markets where consumption is growing and customers are looking for trusted suppliers.\u201d
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Through coordinated trade engagement, culinary activation, brand promotion and senior leadership involvement, MLA continues to position Australian red meat and livestock for sustained growth across Southeast Asia.
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Check out Episode 9 of MLA\u2019s popular On The Ground podcast which discusses Australia\u2019s Global Meat Strategy with MLA\u2019s Managing Director, Michael Crowley<\/p>\n
To view ALEC\u2019s announcement on the Aus-Indo live export partnership visit: Annual meeting reaffirms strength of Australia-Indonesia livex partnership<\/a>
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To view MLA\u2019s most recent marketing partnership signed in Southeast Asia please visit: Aussie Beef partners with ASEAN\u2019s leading football competitions<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is continuing to strengthen demand and deepen relationships for Australian beef, sheepmeat, goatmeat…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":651342,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,315094,4816,44,283],"class_list":["post-651341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-red-meat","tag-media-release","tag-news","tag-southeast-asia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=651341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/651342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=651341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=651341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=651341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}