New Zealand-Beef exports.

New Zealand beef and veal exports during March rose 11% year-on-year to 41,459 tonnes swt, but remained fairly constant for the NZ financial year to date (October 2008 to March 2009).

Exporters increased shipments to Canada during March, with 4,077 tonnes of product sent, up 129% year-on-year. Exports also rose to the US (up 9% to 19,721 tonnes), but declined to both Japan (down 7% to 2,655 tonnes) and Korea (32% lower to 3,154 tonnes).

Although beef and veal exports remained constant for the financial year to date, the amount of chilled product shipped fell 17% to 11,022 tonnes over this period. Chilled beef volumes for the six month period declined to the US (57%), Korea (69%) and the EU (24%), in part reflecting consumers’ tendency to ’trade down’ to cheaper meat cuts in response to the recession. It also reflects a 36% rise in the number of cows slaughtered compared to last season. Chilled beef exports to the Middle East increased 35% over the same six month period, to 2,033 tonnes swt.