Australia-Live Cattle exports.

AUSTRALIA-Live cattle exports down in February

Australian live cattle exports declined year-on-year for the second consecutive month in a row, with shipments in February back 22% year-on-year, at 49,384 head (Australian Bureau of Statistics). Exports for the first two months of 2009 were down 26% year-on-year, at 92,165 head, largely due to tighter supplies out of northern Australia, following a very heavy wet season.Exports to Indonesia in February totalled 34,408 head – down 16% year-on-year and the lowest monthly volume since November 2007. Despite the decline in volume for the month, the value of exports were only back 3% year-on-year, assisted by an 8% decline in the A$ against the Indonesian rupiah over the same period. Shipments over the first two months of 2009 to Indonesia declined 9% year-on-year, to 72,118 head.Saudi Arabia was Australia’s second largest live cattle market during February, taking 7,890 head, while the Philippines (3,000 head), Japan (1,499 head) and Malaysia (1,450 head) also received large shipments. Given the disruption to supplies resulting from the heavy wet season in the north, cattle sourced out of the NT over the first two months of 2009 were down 34% on the same period last year, at a little over 56,000 head, while cattle sourced out of WA fell 20%. Numbers exported from Queensland more then doubled, to 8,941 head for the two months, with 3,000 head departing from Mackay during February, as the flooding and logistical issues out of Townsville forced exporters to move further south. Reportedly, this was the first live cattle shipment to load and depart Mackay since 1976.