March 21, 2014

Australia's January 2014 live cattle exports were higher by 5% from January 2013, at 59,864 head, and carrying the fiscal year-to-January aggregate to 561,359 head, up 64% on-year, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Indonesia was the largest market for Australian live cattle, receiving 21,096 head in January, down 47% on the corresponding month last year, yet up 120% for the fiscal year-to-January, at 297,092 head. Shipments to Vietnam for January reached 15,400 head, assisting the July-to-January total to 69,307 head, up substantially on year ago levels, while numbers to Israel also increased, totalling 11,461 head for January (up 9% on-year), taking the fiscal year-to-January aggregate to 67,291 head, up 91% on-year. Exports to China were 46% greater than the same period last year, at 41,746 head, while Malaysia received 41% more cattle for the fiscal year-to-January, at 31,713 head.

According to the ABS, Australian live sheep exports during January were 17% lower compared to the corresponding month last year, at 204,250 head, with the fiscal year-to-January figure reaching 1.12 million head, back 10% on-year. Kuwait was the largest market for live sheep, with 85,045 head for the month, down 22% on-year, yet assisting the fiscal year-to-January total up 43% on the previous year, at 526,106 head. Live sheep numbers to Qatar were 8% lower during January, at 60,000 head, with the July-to-January total back 10%, at 302,897 head, while shipments to Jordan also declined (14%) in January, totalling 30,000 head, with the seven-month period down 34% on-year, at 118,458 head.

Goat exports for the fiscal year-to-January were 50,236 head, up 44% on the same period last year. In January, 6,358 goats were exported to Malaysia, up 35% compared with the same month last year.