Behaviours of restaurants in a beef value chain in Dien Bien province

Abstract

This study explores the behaviours of restaurants and food stores as meat consumption agents in the beef value chain in Dien Bien province by utilising survey data and focus group discussions (FGDs) with restaurant and eatery owners in Dien Bien Phu city and the town of Tuan Giao. Descriptive statistics, T-tests, and Chi-squared tests are used to analyse the data. The research results showed that restaurants and eateries use fresh beef and imported beef. They buy fresh beef daily and mainly from slaughterhouses, wholesalers, and retailers. The important criteria for beef selection are freshness, stickiness, and colour, and owners prefer local beef because it is more suitable for local dishes. In general, restaurants do not face many difficulties in sourcing meat, but sometimes they cannot buy the desired amount of meat and are afraid of receiving buffalo meant instead of beef...The high price of fresh beef is a problem for them as it increases the cost of doing business and reduces competition. In addition, the trend of changing culinary styles with dishes made from imported beef brings both opportunities and challenges for cattle farmers in Dien Bien province. On that basis, this article proposes several solutions related to supply development as well as building linkages to ensure traceability.