November 16, 2006

Chile's January-September poultry export value surges 21 percent to US$113 million

Chile's poultry meat exports in the first nine months of the year jumped 21 percent in value terms to US$113.3 million, compared with the same period a year earlier, the Agriculture Ministry's Office of Agrarian Studies and Policies, or Odepa, said Tuesday (Nov 14).

In terms of volume, these exports surged 15 percent to 56,723 tonnes, from 49,527 tonnes in January-September 2005, said Odepa acting director Ema Laval in a statement.

By destination, 58 percent of poultry meat was sent to Mexico, 18 percent to the UK and 9 percent to China. Other destinations included Canada, Japan, Germany, Peru and the Netherlands, but in smaller amounts.

President Michelle Bachelet has repeatedly said her government aims to turn Chile into one of the world's largest agricultural exporters.