June 6, 2005
Record Australian beef exports to US and Japan in four years
Australia, the world's second-largest beef exporter, recorded a 13 percent climb in May of beef exports to the US and Japan. This is the highest in almost four years, reports say.
According to the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, export volumes totalled 90,712 metric tonnes last month, from 80,078 tonnes in May 2004. Monthly exports last reached that high in July 2001.
Australian beef exports to the US increased by a fifth to a 31-month high of 38,504 tonnes in May. US beef demand has increased as local ranchers sell fewer cows and heifers to expand herds and restrictions on Canadian beef reduce supplies.
Australian beef exports to Japan jumped 20 percent to 38,963 tonnes last month. Because of a sole case of mad cow disease in a Washington state herd, Japanese bans on US beef have allowed Australia instead of the US, access to the JPY 198 billion (US$1.8 billion) market for imported beef since January last year.
Only Brazil exports more beef than Australia.