April 7, 2008

Australian beef exports down 16 percent
 

Australia's exports of beef and veal were down 16 percent on the previous year at 190,058 tonnes swt, with shipments for March 14 percent less at 79,538 tonnes swt, according to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The strong Australian dollar, weaker demand from major markets and disruptions in domestic beef production have led to the lowest first quarter total since 2004, said the department.

Exports to Japan for the first quarter of this year were down 15 percent from 2007 to 81,072 tonnes swt while March shipments were 38,836 tonnes swt, 12 percent less than March 2007.

Shipments to South Korea in the first three months of 2008 were down 26 percent to 31,182 tonnes swt compared with the same period last year, while exports in March reached 12,273 tonnes swt, down 12 percent from March 2007.

The US absorbed 46,169 tonnes swt of beef and veal from Australia. in the first quarter of this year, 33 percent less on-year, while March shipments totalled 18,990 tonnes swt, back 40 percent from March 2007.

Despite sluggish exports in the major markets, shipments to smaller markets improved.

Exports to Indonesia were up 11 percent in the first quarter of 2008 to 5,794 tonnes swt, the highest since 1997.

The Philippines absorbed 253 percent more in that period at 2,301 tonnes swt, while exports to the EU reached 1,990 tonnes swt, up 138 percent from the first quarter of 2007.

Shipments to the Commonwealth of Independent States reached 4,776 tonnes swt in the first quarter of the year from only 361 tonnes swt on-year.