March 12, 2009
Australia registers record beef exports in Feb
Australia's beef exports posted record volumes in February due to a lower Australian dollar and a strong manufacturing beef demand.
Beef exports in February increased 20 percent on-year to 79,781 tonnes swt, according to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, DAFF.
Shipments to the US, Southeast Asia – mainly Indonesia and Taiwan - increased sharply, while volumes to Japan for the month were similar to last year.
The lower Australian dollar has made the product more affordable in the US, boosting shipments by 72 percent on-year to 27,657 tonnes swt, the largest February total since 2002. For the first two months of 2009, Australian beef exports to the US increased 59 percent on-year to 43,276 tonnes swt.
US demand for Australian manufacturing beef is strong, especially from the fast food sector, as US consumers downgrade to cheaper meal alternatives amid the recession.
Australia exported 4,517 tonnes swt of beef to Indonesia, while shipments to South Korea declined 20 percent on-year to 8,432 tonnes swt.
