October 5, 2009

Australian beef and veal shipments during September declined 9 percent year-on-year, as exporters continued to face sluggish demand and a rising A$, while supplies were constrained as processors scaled back kill days.

Exports for the month reached 75,778 tonnes slaughterweight (swt), taking exports for the first nine months of 2009 to 701,000 tonnes swt - just above volumes in the corresponding period in 2008.

September shipments to Japan declined 8 percent, to 27,773 tonnes swt, as exporters continued to face lower export prices, with chilled grassfed fullset prices averaging 14% lower year-on-year. Exports to the US were also back 8 percent on the same month last year, to 20,241 tonnes swt - the lowest September volume since 1997.

Korea continued to accept improved volumes of Australian beef, with exports for September up 8 percent year-on-year, to 10,114 tonnes swt - the fourth consecutive month above 10,000 tonnes swt. After a slow start to 2009, with exports for January to May down 29 percent year-on-year, exports for June to September were up 21 percent, with total shipments for the first nine months of the year only 9 percent below 2008 levels, at 82,000 tonnes swt.