December 17, 2007

Australia ships record numbers of live cattle

Strong demand from Indonesia for Australian cattle, combined with good supplies out of northern Australia, has seen shipments for the first 10 months of 2007 surpass the previous calendar year record set in 2002, according to Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

Overall exports for the first 10 months of 2007 were up 13 percent on 2006, at 626,480 head.

October was a very good month for Australian live cattle shipments, especially to Indonesia, which surpassed the previous calendar year record by jumping 49 percent to 43,806 head.  

Almost 456,000 head of cattle were sent to Indonesia during the first 10 months of 2007. This meant the country accounted for 73 percent of Australia's live cattle shipments.

Total shipments for the month reached 67,083 head - up 4 percent year-on-year and the highest October shipment for the past five years (Australian Bureau of Statistics).

While Indonesia has dominated 2007, shipments to most other markets have fluctuated from month to month.

Saudi Arabia received 3,981 head during October - almost double the same period last year, while shipments to Israel jumped 57 percent, to 12,217 head.

In contrast, exports to Malaysia for October fell 88 percent year-on-year, to 1,917 head.