January 5, 2006

Australian beef exports to Japan at record levels 2005

Australia exported its highest amount of beef ever to Japan last year, according to Meat and Livestock Australia's chief market analyst Peter Weeks.

About 405,000 tonnes of Australian beef were exported to Japan, an increase of 3 percent from 2004.

Grain-fed beef sales were particularly high in 2005, up 73 percent from 2003, said Weeks.

This was because Australian beef farmers were increasingly using feedlots to supply the Japanese market since Japan's ban on US beef imports from December 2003. Weeks added that the level of grain-fed beef exports looks sustainable.

However, after Japan's announcement to lift the US beef ban, overall beef exports to Japan in December slided 4 percent from the previous year's 31,913 tonnes. As such, the Australian industry's growth forecast of 9 percent from 2004 was not met, despite the record export levels.

Weeks added that while beef exports to Japan are expected to fall this year, the decrease will be modest, remaining above the 310,000-330,000 tonne range.