Australia’s March and first quarter beef exports soar

MOMENTUM being seen this year in slaughter activity is being carried through with dramatically higher beef exports during March, and the full first quarter.

Despite the early Easter holiday impact this year, March beef exports to all markets reached 106,573 tonnes, more than 12,700t (14pc) higher than the previous month, and 7pc higher than March last year.

In fact last month recorded the highest in-month figure for March exports since Australia’s extraordinary 2015 drought year, when an all-time March record of 123,464t was reached.

For the full first quarter (January-March) beef exports to all markets this year have reached 275,992t, up 25pc on the same period in 2023. Again, Q1 exports were the highest recorded by Australia since 2015, which is also the last year that the US topped Japan as Australia’s largest export beef customer.

Solid volume growth was seen in virtually all markets last month, with the United States again being the standout.