US poultry exports set value record

US poultry exports for the first half of 2011 set a new year-on-year record in value, while the quantity was the third-highest on record, according to trade data released last week by the Foreign Agricultural Service.

First-half US poultry meat exports increased by 2% to 1.77 million metric tons, while export value of $2.16 billion rose by 10% compared to the first half of 2010.

Broiler meat exports
For the month of June, exports of broiler meat (excluding chicken paws) declined by 14% to 236,416 tons, and value for the month dipped by less than a point to $269.1 million. The quantity decline reflects lower shipments to such key markets as Cuba, Ukraine, Taiwan, Georgia, Angola and Ghana. Shipments increased to other markets, however, such as Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Russia.

Cumulative first-half exports broiler meat (excluding paws) were 1.41 million tons, down 2% from the same period in 2010. Export value was $1.6 billion, up 8%.

US broiler shipments to Mexico for the first half rose by 3% to 225,550 tons, while exports to Hong Kong dipped by 3.7% to 105,944 tons. Exports to Korea jumped by 86% to 72,281 tons, and exports to Iraq (including transshipments via Turkey) were 68,214 tons, down 10%.

Exports of US broiler meat to Canada were 65,283 tons, up 11%, while shipments to Taiwan decreased by 10% to 60,072 tons. Exports to Russia were 50,241 tons, up 95%, and shipments to China were down 12% to 24,765 tons.

US chicken paws
Meanwhile, exports of US chicken paws in June reached 29,593 tons, up 15% from June 2010, but export value was $42.8 million, down by less than 1%. Paw shipments to Hong Kong rose by 16% to 25,565 tons, while exports to mainland China increased by 20% to 3,143 tons.

Cumulative first-half exports of paws were 165,646 tons valued at $244.6 million, up 16 and 6% year on year, respectively. Export value set a year-on-year record.

Turkey exports
As for turkey, cumulative first-half exports reached 150,034 tons valued at $263.3 million, up 32 and 31% from the June 2010, respectively, both year-on-year records.

June turkey exports were 24,310 tons valued at $45.3 million, up 16 and 24%, respectively. Export value set a record for the month of June.

US turkey meat exports in June to Mexico, the top market, rose by 18.5% to 13,808 tons, while shipments to China decreased by 2.5% to 3,147 tons. The increase in turkey exports to Mexico is due largely to the increased pork prices relative to turkey, which encouraged Mexican meat processors to use more turkey instead of pork.

Table eggs
For table eggs, exports for June 2011 were 5.9 million dozen, down 4% from the same month of last year, while export value reached $5.282 million, up 14%.

Cumulative exports of table eggs for the first half of 2011 were 36.9 million dozen valued at $33.4 million, up 17 and 28% year on year, respectively.

For processed egg products, June exports were $9.4 million, down 11% from June 2010. Export value to Japan, the top export market for U.S. egg products, decreased by 6% to $4 million. Export value to Canada increased 40% year over year, and export value to EU-27 decreased 25%.

Cumulative exports of egg products in the first half of 2011 were $59 million, down less than 1% year on year. Exports to Japan increased 44% to $28.9 million, accounting for nearly half of U.S. total exports of egg products worldwide.

Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell-egg equivalents) for the first half of 2011 year were 110.4 million dozen, with an export value of $92.4 million, up 9 and 8% from the same period of last year, respectively.

Source: USAPEEC