April 9, 2009
Australia's Q1 beef exports to South Asia hits record
Australian beef exports to Southeast Asia/China during the March quarter reached a record high of 26,623 tonnes swt, up 58 percent on-year.
Chilled and frozen shipments to the region also reached a record of 3,023 tonnes swt and 23,600 tonnes swt, respectively.
Indonesia remains the top destination, importing 11,718 tonnes swt of Australian beef during the period, more than double the shipment in Jan-March 2008.
Exports to Taiwan was the highest in six years at 6,286 tonnes swt, as the lower Australian dollar kept Australian beef competitively priced compared with rivals such as the US.
Volumes to the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia also reached its highest in many years, while shipments to China and Hong Kong also hit a new record.
Exports to Southeast Asia/China continued to be dominated by manufacturing beef, accounting for 36 percent of total exports in the first quarter, majority of which were shipped to Indonesia and the Philippines.
Shin shank was the second most popular cut in the region, with Taiwan taking the bulk of the exports of this cut. A rising volume of blade or clod was also exported to Indonesia during the quarter, making it the third most popular item in the region.
