September 8, 2005

USDA: New Zealand livestock and products annual 2005

New Zealand's total cattle slaughter in 2006 is forecast at 725,000 tons, 6 percent above a year earlier. Beef exports in 2006 are forecast to increase to 615,000 tons. Beef exports continue to grow, fueled by increasing supplies of beef sourced from New Zealand's expanding dairy herd.

Beef exports to New Zealand's three main Asian markets (South Korea, Taiwan and Japan) have grown markedly following the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States and Canada. 

These three markets accounted for no more than 15 percent of New Zealand's beef export volume and value in 2002. Beef exports to the United States over the past two years have been largely unaffected. High value cuts are generally sent to Asian markets, while the United States primarily receives New Zealand's manufacturing grade beef. 

The re-entry of U.S. and Canadian beef into Asian markets will negatively impact New Zealand exports.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) recently completed an assessment of the U.S. BSE regime and determined that U.S. safeguards were equivalent to those provided by New Zealand's BSE measures. 

A livestock industry working group has been created in New Zealand to review options for cattle and deer identification. The group released a consultation report in July 2005. 

The working group was established in response to a recognized need for the implementation of a comprehensive, mandatory traceability system. This will respond to increasingly stringent regulatory systems and consumer demands related to biosecurity and food safety issues in overseas markets.

For the full USDA report, click here.