US – milk production makes very strong start to 2021

US milk production has made a very strong start to the year, with January milk supplies up almost 2% year on year to 8.4bn litres. US milk production is firmly back in growth mode. In 2020, US milk production grew by more than 2% to hit a record 98bn litres.

Australia – live cattle exports to fall sharply

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is forecasting a sharp fall in live cattle exports in 2021 due to very tight cattle supplies in Australia and soaring beef prices. The MLA said it expects 2021 live exports from Australia to fall 9% this year to just 962,000 head – down from over 1m head last year.

China – meat imports up 30% so far this year

Chinese meat imports are showing double-digit growth in the early months of 2021. For the first two months of the year, China imported 1.6m tonnes of meat, which is up almost 30% year on year. The sharp increase in meat imports is linked to domestic shortages and stock building.

Brazil – soya bean production forecast higher

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has raised its forecast for Brazilian soya bean production this year. In its latest global supply and demand update, the USDA said it now expects Brazil to produce 134m tonnes of soya beans this year thanks to strong yields.