July 18, 2006

 

US beef exports up 80 percent from 2005

 

 

US beef exports for the first five months of the year are up 80 percent in tonnage from the same period in 2005 while total beef exports, which includes variety meats such as tripe, livers and kidneys, are up 41 percent from last year, according to Dow Jones Newswire reports.

 

The January-May 2006 total beef and beef variety meat tonnage was 247,494 tonnes, and while that was up significantly from last year, it was just 49 percent of the same period in 2003 before US beef was banned from several countries due to mad cow disease.

 

USDA data indicated May beef exports at 38,567 tonnes, up nearly 85 percent from a year ago. The average monthly volume for 2006 through May is 27,970 tonnes.

 

The largest gains in volume from last year were in the top three customer nations--Mexico, Canada and Taiwan which accounted for 96 percent of the increase.

 

The January-May combined beef and beef variety meat export sales were valued at US$768.7 million, up 59 percent from last year.

 

Pork exports continue to set records through the first five months. As of May, pork export was up 15 percent by volume.

 

The sales value for that same period was 5 percent above a year ago even with lower prices.

 

Pork sales in May were at 92,828 tonnes, up 12.5 percent from a year ago.

 

The biggest increase so far this year have come from Mexico, Russia, and South Korea.

 

In its latest report, the USDA estimated 2006 pork exports at about 1.393 million tonnes, up 15.4 percent from a year ago. This figure is the equivalent of 14.5 percent of US production.