July 30, 2009

New Zealand's cattle slaughter and beef exports so far for 2008-09 (October-June) have increased four percent and six percent, respectively.

Cattle slaughter during the nine-month period reached 2.3 million head, with most of the increase due to a 31-percent rise in cow slaughter to 756,296 head. In June alone, however, cattle slaughter fell eight percent on-year to 230,821 head.

In the same period, New Zealand beef exports rose to 302,257 tonnes swt. Shipments to the US increased seven percent to 150,386 tonnes, while exports to Canada surged 46 percent to 26,684 tonnes with Canadian importers showing particular interest in New Zealand cow meat.

Those beef export volumes more than offset declines in beef exports to Japan and South Korea, where shipments dropped eight percent to 23,105 tonnes and down 27 percent to 24,816 tonnes, respectively.