March 15, 2007

Australia's live cattle exports down in January
 

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show Australian live cattle exports for January fell to 12 percent on the same period last year, to 48,947 head but value of these shipments have increased by 10 percent to A$40.9 million freight-on-board (FOB), posting a 79 percent increase in the number of high value dairy cattle shipped which lifted overall returns. 

Live cattle exports to Indonesia totalled 30,889 head during January - 12 percent above January 2006 shipments. Cattle demand from Indonesia has been relatively strong in recent months, with total exports for the seven months to January up 16 percent on the previous year, to 230,622 head.

Mexico was Australia's second largest market for live cattle during January, with exports for the month up 29 percent, to 3,643 head. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the restrictions placed on the importation of cattle from the US and Canada has increased demand for cattle from Australia, Nicaragua and New Zealand. Australia exported 11,723 head to Mexico in 2006, valued at A$18.5 million FOB.

January also saw the first shipments of live cattle to Pakistan since May 1998, with 2,300 head exported, valued at A$3.6 million FOB.

Australian cattle exports to the Philippines during January totalled 2,000 head, while numbers to Malaysia dropped 70 percent on January 2006 levels, to 1,570 head. Exports to Israel for the month totalled 3,240 head, while shipments to Japan and Jordan reached 1,500 head and 1,200 head, respectively.