Europe Satisfies Taste for Grain Fed Australian Beef
EU - Australian beef imports to Europe increased 33 per cent in 2013 thanks to grain-fed shipments outstripping grass beef for the first time.Industry development board Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) attributed the growth to a depreciating A$ in contrast to the Euro and British pound.
MLA also pinned the rise on developing popularity for Australian grain-fed beef, of which 11,502 tonnes was bought, beating the grass fed volume which reached 8,425 tonnes.
This was felt greatest in the Netherlands and Italy.
An MLA spokesperson commented: “The expansion of the grainfed quota in mid-2012 has been the catalyst for the increase in grainfed shipments.
“The quota expansion has allowed Australia to diversify its export base in the region, with shipments to Netherlands and Italy increasing significantly.”
Sheepmeat exports also rose 6 per cent to 16,734 tonnes swt, a big boost to mutton.
Meanwhile, lamb dropped 3 per cent to 11,747 tonnes.
The Australian sector acknowledged the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) forecast for economic recovery in the EU.
It quoted the IMF’s forecast of modest recovery in the UK, Australia’s biggest European customer.
TheCattleSite News Desk