Meat imports drop 4.5% in seven months to July

MEAT imports fell 4.5% year on year in the seven months to July, with the declines broadly based as shipments of beef, pork, and turkey weakening, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) reported.

The BAI said that in volume terms, imports amounted to 702.17 million kilograms during the seven months. The total for July was 111.48 million kilos, down from 112.44 kilos in June and 134.79 million kilos a year earlier.

Beef shipments fell 19.1% year on year to 77.71 million kilos in the seven months. Beef accounted for 10.9% of all meat imports.

Brazil was the top beef supplier at 27.45 million kilos, followed by Australia with 23.07 million and Ireland 8.99 million.

Pork accounted for 49.4% of meat imports with 346.79 million kilos in the seven months to July, down 12.8% from a year earlier.

Spain remained the top pork supplier, providing 90.2 million kilos, followed by Canada with 65.16 million and Brazil 51.13 million.

Turkey and buffalo shipments fell 58.2% to 114.42 million and 1.03% to 27.57 million, respectively, during the seven months.

Chicken, duck, and lamb imports rose during the period.

Chicken imports rose 17.4% year on year to 249.37 million kilos. Chicken accounted for about 35% of all meat imports during the period.

Some 55.2% or 138.21 million kilos of chicken imports came in the form of mechanically deboned meat used mostly in canned products. The category declined 43.2% for the period.

Brazil was the top chicken supplier with 144.4 million kilos, followed by the US with 86.14 million and Canada 9.24 million.

Duck imports surged to 197.76 million kilos from 48.52 million a year earlier, while lamb shipments rose 20.3% to 485.13 million kilos.