February 6, 2007

Australian beef exports to South Korea strong in January
 

South Korea once again remained a strong market for Australian beef, with exports totalling 13,242 tonnes swt in January.

While exports for last month fell on the record shipments sent in November and December, shipments for the month were 41 percent above Jan 2006 levels, according to Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) estimates. 

Chilled beef exports for the month increased by 25 percent from Jan last year to 2,534 tonnes swt. Chilled grassfed shipments declined 9 percent to 899 tonnes swt, while grainfed volumes increased 50 percent to 1,635 tonnes swt.

Frozen beef exports stood at 10,709 tonnes while frozen grassfed shipments ended the month at 8,141 tonnes swt. Frozen grainfed exports were 2,294 tonnes.

Demand for Australian beef in the South Korean market seems to have been boosted by the continuing absence of US beef.