November 8, 2007

Australia posts lower beef exports in October

Lower beef production, a stronger currency and quiet demand from Japan, the US and Korea has reduced Australia's October beef exports by 4 percent to 86,607 tonnes slaughterweight (swt), figures from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry show.

Overall exports for the first ten months of 2007 totalled 780,600 tonnes swt. 

Manufacturing beef exports during October eased 2 percent, to 31,833 tonnes swt - accounting for 37 percent of total shipments. Contributing to the decline was sluggish demand from the US, with manufacturing beef shipments falling 9 percent year-on-year, to 16,037 tonnes swt. Manufacturing beef exports to Japan was steady, at 10,502 tonnes swt, while increased demand was reported from Indonesia.

Exports of beef brisket dropped by 6 percent, to 6,735 tonnes swt  and a bulk of it was shipped to Japan and Korea, with volumes back 12 percent and 6 percent, respectively, to 5,003 tonnes swt and 1,185 tonnes swt. Exports of beef fullset were also influenced by weaker demand, plunging 23 percent, to 4,927 tonnes swt. Shank shipments were down 11 percent year-on-year, despite a 36% jump to the US (2,161 tonnes swt). In Taiwan, Australian shanks faced fierce competition from US product, with shipments declining 15 percent on last year, to 1,094 tonnes swt.

Silverside exports improved 8 percent during October, to 5,087 tonnes swt, with the increase attributed to a 50 percent jump in volumes to the US (to 1,567 tonnes swt). Exports of short ribs to Korea increased 21 percent, to 1,814 tonnes swt, despite exports for the first ten months of 2007 being back 9 percent.