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September lamb exports ease
07 October 2015
Australian lamb exports in September declined to 18,292 tonnes swt – back 10% from year-ago volumes and for the year-to-date, shipments are now slightly (1%) lower than the same time last year, at 171,666 tonnes swt.
Encouragingly, while there was a year-on-year decline, the September volume was 15% above the five-year average.
Chilled and frozen consignments continued to trend in opposite directions, with chilled product increasing slightly (4%) to 8,100 tonnes, while frozen declined 19% year-on-year, to 10,830 tonnes swt. The increase in chilled lamb exports was underpinned by larger volumes to both the Middle East and the US, where chilled product rose 8% and 11% year-on-year, respectively.
- Lamb exports to China in September fell 42% from year-ago levels, to 2,223 tonnes swt, and were 1% below the five-year September average.
- Exports to the US were 2% higher, at 4,339 tonnes swt, continuing a longer term rising trend.
- Shipments to the Middle East were down 4% year-on-year, to 5,876 tonnes swt, underpinned by a decline to Jordan, down 26% to 1,301 tonnes swt.
- Shipments to South- East Asia were 14% lower year-on-year, at 1,051 tonnes swt. Malaysia, the biggest importer of lamb in the region for September, decreased to 769 tonnes swt, down 19% from year-ago volumes.
- Exported lamb to the Pacific Islands increased significantly in September to 1,796 tonnes swt. This was driven by a 71% jump to Papua New Guinea, where 1,510 tonnes swt was exported.
