April 3, 2009
Argentina beef exports reach 42,000 tonnes in Feb
Argentina's beef exports in February totalled 41,924 tonnes, up 16 percent from January, according to the animal health and sanitation service Senasa.
Exports were up 4.5 percent on-year, Senasa said.
The increases reflect a recovery from declines in recent months as Argentina's key markets reduce their beef purchases due to the economic and financial crisis that started last September and October.
February's exports of fresh and processed beef and innards were valued at US$96.4 million, up from US$91.7 million in January.
Shipments of high-end Hilton Quota beef totalled 3,439 tonnes, up from 2,843 tonnes in January. The Hilton Quota allows Argentina to export a fixed amount of high-price cuts to the EU each year with a sharply reduced import tariff.
Russia was the leading importer of fresh Argentine beef in February, followed by Venezuela, Israel, Chile, Morocco and Germany.
