Australia’s beef and sheepmeat exports fell again in March making it a drop of 25% for beef to under 200,000t for the first quarter of 2021.

Sales to the US of 29,500t were down 44% on the first quarter of 2020, Japan was down 27% to 50,500t, while China fell 36% to 35,800t.

Sheepmeat exports were down 22% overall for the first quarter compared with 2020 at 92,400t.

China, which is the largest market for Australian sheepmeat exports, actually increased by 12% to 29,200t.

All of the other significant markets declined including the US, which was the second largest market for Australian exports at 18,900t, a fall of 285 on quarter one of 2020.

Australia is a small exporter to the EU and the 715t shipped in quarter one is 575 less than for the same period last year.