Australian beef exports to the US jumped by 77% in the fiscal year to the end of June.
“The growth in exports was across almost every major export beef category, as US importers and end users spent much of the last 12–18 months looking for beef to supplement declining domestic supplies,” the industry body Meat and Livestock Australia said in a statement, quoting figures from the Australian Department of Agriculture. “The rise in demand in the US over the last year has overlapped very well with the ongoing large numbers of Australian cattle being processed,” MLA added.
Australia exported 471,242 tonnes of beef to the US in the past year, compared to 265,920 in 2013/14. Growth appeared to slow down recently but remains strong, with a 48% increase in the last six months compared to the same period last year.
Read Phelim O’Neill’s analysis: Australia supplies the US with more beef than Ireland produces
Detailed statistics show that exports of manufacturing beef, which account for two thirds of the trade flow, increased by 75% year-on-year.
The Australian beef exported to the US is 97% grass-fed, making it a direct competitor for Irish beef on the recently opened US market. Exports of grain-fed Australian beef to the US, although much smaller, more than doubled in the past year.
SHARING OPTIONS