AUSTRALIA-RETAIL MEAT.
Butcher sales remain subdued in March
17/04/2009
Australian butchers reported lower sales in March across all meats compared to March 2008, as tough economic conditions continued to affect consumer demand for high-value meat cuts. On a positive note, beef sales in March improved compared to February.
In March, 44% of respondents reported ’very good to excellent’ beef sales, down from 72% in March 2008 but higher than the 31% noted in February. For lamb, 27% of butchers surveyed noted that sales were ’very good to excellent’, compared with 29% respondents in February and 58% in March 2008.
Sales of pork and chicken also slid during March compared to the previous month and March 2008. For pork, only 14% of butchers reported ’very good to excellent’ sales – the lowest rating since the survey commenced in July 2006. During March, about 25% of respondents noted ’very good to excellent’ sales of chicken, down from 31% in February and 48% in March 2008.
Price information provided by 325 butchers over the March quarter indicated that both beef and lamb prices increased on the same period last year.