New Zealand
New Zealand (NZ) beef production reached 617,187 tonnes in 2010 (compared to 2,128,598 tonnes in Australia). However, with NZ's small population limiting the size of the domestic market, around 95% of production is typically exported each year. Because of this, the revenue of red meat industry participants is highly dependent upon international prices, the exchange rate, and variations in overseas demand and supply.
With the strong influence of the dairy herd in NZ, beef and veal production is heavily skewed towards manufacturing product and the North American markets. NZ also exports significant volumes of both chilled and frozen beef cuts to a diverse range of markets such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, South East Asia and the Middle East.
New Zealand export statistics
The latest export statistics reveal that New Zealand exported 36,812 tonnes swt of beef in February 2012, 17% higher year-on-year. For the NZ processing season (beginning October) to date, exports were 114,140 tonnes swt, 13% lower than the previous year.
Read the latest New Zealand Red Meat Market Report for more information on the New Zealand beef industry
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