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Asia’s hunger for meat feeds Australia’s Macquarie

Increasing demand for protein, primarily beef and lamb, in Asia has led to Macquarie Group quietly becoming one of Australia’s largest private land owners and cattle-and-sheep farmers in less than three years.

"Rising urbanisation and increasing disposable income in Asia are leading a greater demand for meat," said Peter Maher, Macquarie’s head of Banking and Financial Services.

As a consequence, the Macquarie Pastoral Fund has attracted more than AUD500 million (USD448 million) from investors, who like the fact that their money is directly linked to "’hard" assets such as land and property, and the regular income generated from very visible livestock.