Beef exports from Uruguay have been increasing strongly in 2017. Beef shipments for May were close to 28,000t, with over half of this product destined for China. Cumulative beef exports for the first five months of 2017 (Jan-May) now stand at 128,000t, which is 17% ahead of last year.

The US Meat Exporters Federation has warned US meat companies to stay aggressive in marketing US meat products in China if they want to maintain market share. While US beef exports to China increased 13% close to 100,000t for April, pork volumes were down 8% to just over 203,000t.

Spanish wheat imports are set to rise by more than 1.3m tonnes next year as hot and dry weather affects domestic production. The country’s agriculture ministry is forecasting total wheat imports next year to reach 5.5m tonnes, which is used as animal feed.

US butter production for the month of April was less than 75,000t, which represents a decline of more than 4% compared with last year and a 3.7% decline compared with March. In contrast, cheese production for April was up 4% year on year to more than 471,000t.