Australian beef exports down 8.3% in April

Australia's beef exports in April fell 8.3% from March to 74,753 boneless tonnes to be down 7.4% from April last year, according to official figures issued Monday (May 3).

Exports in April took shipments in the first four months of this year to 263,121 tonnes, down 12% from the same period last year, according to the figures issued by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Australia is the second-largest global exporter of beef after Brazil, with the value of beef exports around A$4.5 billion a year. About two-thirds of Australia's beef output is exported.

Marketing concern Meat & Livestock Australia Ltd. has previously attributed softer beef exports in 2010 to difficult trading conditions, including a relatively strong Australian currency, sluggish overseas demand and soft returns.

Japan remained the biggest overseas beef market, with exports there of 29,825 tonnes in April falling 24% from unusually strong exports in March and falling 1.2% on year. Shipments in the first four months of this year to Japan of 113,585 tonnes rose 0.9% from the year-earlier period.

Exports to the US, the second biggest export market, continued to languish, with 16,605 tonnes shipped in April, up 1.1% on month but down 3.6% on year. Exports to the US in the first four months of this year of 57,458 tonnes fell 42% on year, the official figures show.

Australian beef exports to South Korea in April of 10,745 tonnes fell 3.8% on month but rose 26% on year. Total exports to South Korea in the first four months of 2010 reached 35,345 tonnes, up 12% on year.

Among lesser markets in the first four months of this year, exports to Indonesia fell 14% on year to 12,163 tonnes and exports to Taiwan slipped 6.8% to 8,338 tonnes.