March 2, 2007

Australian beef leads in Japanese market
 

Australian beef sales to Japan have reached record levels in December, and the positive trend continued into January - normally a quiet period after the year end peak consumption.

According to retail sales data collected by Agriculture and Livestock Industries Cooperation of Japan (ALIC ) via a point of sale (POS) system, Australian beef sales reached 10.3 kilogrammes (kg) per 1,000  customers in January 2007 (monthly average). This is the second highest monthly level after making 10.6kg/1,000 customers in December 2006.

ALIC data showed that total beef sales in January 2007 were up 8.3 percent on the same month the previous year, to 15.6kg/1,000 customers. Australian beef led the increase by adding 900g to 10.3kg, while domestic dairy was up by 400 grams (g) to 2.9kg and Wagyu volume declined 300g to 2.3kg/1000 customers.

In the same POS data, pork sales reached 30.6kg/1000 customers, the highest since September 2004. The popularity of pork may have partly been due to consumers' shift from chicken, after avian flu outbreaks in Japan early this year. Average chicken sales volume in January 2007 was 20.6kg/1,000 customers - 0.5 percent higher than the same month in 2006, but 11 percent lower than December 2006.