US pork exports break records
According to the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF), the statistics showed that pork exports set new monthly records in October, with 218,132t worth US$607m shipped, up 9% on the previous year.
For the period January to October, pork exports were up 3% in volume at 1.875mt, and 6% higher in value at US$5.24bn.
Beef exports also performed solidly in October, USMEF said. Export value climbed 10% to US$496m compared with the previous year, in spite of a 4% fall in volume to 101,447t. For the January to October period, beef saw an 11% decline in volume to 951,886t, while export value, at US$4.6bn, remained 2% up.
Philip Seng, USMEF president and chief executive, said: “With pork production at a very high level, the US industry is relying on a strong performance from the international markets. We not only achieved that, but also maintained an excellent per-head return for producers.”
He remained upbeat about beef: “Considering the economic headwinds we face in several markets, beef export value is holding up extremely well – especially on a per-head basis,” he said. “For livestock producers who are facing some very tough obstacles, the export markets are truly a source of optimism.”
