Broiler exports see 8 percent year-over-year drop

U.S. broiler shipments in February 2013 were down 8 percent from the same month in 2012, the United States Department of Agriculture reported on April 17. Broiler exports for the month totaled 588.4 million pounds.
According to the agency's Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook report, the primary reason for the drop was lower shipents to Angola, Taiwan and Hong Kong, compared with a year ago, dropping 35, 49 and 60 percent, respectively.
Exports to several countries increased, most significantly China, where shipments rose by 94 percent. Exports to Cuba were up 34 percent and shipments to Iraq were up 42 percent from a year ago. However, those increases were not enough to offset the drop in exports to the other countries. 

2012 US poultry and egg exports break records

Thanks in large part to the poultry and egg industry’s ability to adapt to changing global marketplace dynamics, 2012 was a record-setting year for exports of U.S. poultry meat and eggs.
Combined export value of U.S. poultry meat and eggs reached $5.722 billion in 2012, 12 percent ahead of 2011, the previous record year, according to year-end trade data released by the Foreign Agricultural Service.
“The global landscape is in a constant state of transition,” said Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council. “While our traditional markets of Mexico and Russia remained at the top of the broiler markets, there were numerous changes, such as Angola and Taiwan moving into the top 10 broiler markets and Mexico growth as a market for eggs. The greatest benefit for our industry is a much greater balance than we’ve ever before realized.”
Sumner said the U.S. industry, which for years depended on a few behemoths such as Russia and China for a majority of its export sales, is now much less dependent on singular markets as new markets have opened and sales expand to the rest of the world.
“The only constant in the export marketplace is change,” he said. “And fortunately, our industry is very good at adapting to these changes. In 2008, for example, we exported products to 109 countries. In 2012, we shipped to 121 countries.”
For 2012, for example, double-digit declines in shipments of U.S. chicken meat to several markets, including Korea and Vietnam, were more than offset by increased sales to markets such as Mexico, Russia, Angola, Congo, Kazakhstan and Ghana.
The top six markets for U.S. broiler meat exports for 2012 were Mexico, 560,544 tons valued at $641.2 million, up 23 and 42 percent, respectively; Hong Kong, 296,085 tons valued at $396.2 million, down 46 and 47 percent; Russia, 266,995 tons valued at $301.7 million, up 25 and 23 percent; China, 239,897 tons valued at $283 million, up 149 and 137 percent; Angola, 182,027 tons valued at $214.4 million, up 11 and 18 percent; and Canada, 173,037 tons valued at $498.8 million, up 22 and 32 percent.
Last year was also a record-setting year for total U.S. poultry meat exports in both quantity and value. Export value of U.S. poultry climbed to nearly $5.5 billion, 11 percent over 2011, while quantity hit 4.1 million metric tons, up 5 percent. The quantity record was 0.6 percent higher than in 2008, the previous record year.
Meanwhile, 2012 U.S. egg exports also reached record levels. Total exports (table eggs plus processed egg products in shell-egg equivalents) were 274.1 million dozen valued at $263.7 million, up 24 and 35 percent from 2011, respectively.


Broiler meat exports in 2012, excluding chicken paws, set records in both quantity and value, reaching 3.3 million tons valued at $4.2 billion, up respectively 4 and 15 percent from 2011. Compared to the previous record set in 2008, U.S. broiler meat export quantity for 2012 increased by about 1 percent, while value rose by 17 percent.
Exports of chicken paws in 2012 reached 363,974 tons, an increase of 5 percent from the previous year, while export value was $450.1 million, down 10 percent from 2011. Of those exports, 53 percent went to Hong Kong, and 40 percent went to China.
U.S. turkey exports last year also reached record highs, with exports in 2012 climbing to 361,597 tons valued at $678.5 million, up 14 and 13 percent, respectively.
The top U.S. turkey markets are Mexico, 187,201 tons valued at $371.8 million, up 3 and 4 percent, respectively; China, 45,910 tons valued at $70.7 million, up 22 and 32 percent; the Philippines, 14,379 tons valued at $12.9 million, up 167 and 123 percent; Canada, 14,150 tons valued at $31.4 million, up 38 and 29 percent; and Hong Kong, 12,063 tons valued at $20.7 million, down 30 and 17 percent.
For table eggs, exports in 2012 were 127.6 million dozen valued at $122.6 million, up 54 and 59 percent, respectively, both records, and driven by increased shipments to Mexico, Hong Kong, and the European Union.
The top five export markets for table eggs are Hong Kong, 46.7 million dozen, up 30 percent; Canada, 26.1 million dozen, up 19 percent; Mexico, 16.6 million dozen vs. 1.3 million dozen in 2011; the U.A.E., 13 million dozen, up 66 percent; and the EU, 8.9 million dozen vs. 0.78 million dozen in 2011.
For egg products, 2012 was also a record-setting year, as total export value rose by 20 percent to $141 million.
Export value to Japan, the top export market for U.S. egg products, decreased by 28 percent to $45.1 million, accounting for 32 percent of U.S. total export value worldwide. Export value to the EU rose by 88 percent to $38.3 million, while sales to Mexico increased six-fold to $16.5 million. Exports to Canada increased 18 percent to $9.6 million, while exports to South Korea dipped by 7 percent to $4.1 million.
Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell egg equivalent) in 2012 set records in both volume and value. While export quantity hit 274.1 million dozen, an increase of 24 percent from the previous year, export value reached $263.7 million, up 35 percent from 2011.

US July broiler trade down, turkey and egg shipments up

Shipments of U.S. broilers in July totaled 602.9 million pounds, a 7 percent reduction over broiler meat shipped in July 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.

The primary reason for the drop in shipments was weak demand in two major markets (Hong Kong and Cuba) and in at least two minor markets (Georgia and South Korea), said the USDA. Shipments to Hong Kong declined 78 percent, while shipments to Cuba, Georgia and South Korea decreased 52, 67 and 44 percent, respectively. Shipments to the two largest broiler markets, Mexico and Russia, rose in July: broiler meat shipped to Mexico increased 26 percent from 2011 numbers, and shipments to Russia increased 23 percent. However, these two increases were not enough to offset the decline in shipments to other markets.

Turkey shipments in July were up 25 percent from 2011, with over 65.6 million pounds of turkey meat shipped abroad. Turkey shipments have been up despite higher year-over-year whole hen turkey prices. The chief reason for this increase is strong foreign demand, according to the USDA. Over half (54 percent) of the turkey meat shipped internationally went to Mexico, the largest U.S. turkey market; turkey shipments to Mexico increased 17 percent from 2011 numbers. There were also significant increases in turkey shipments to the Philippines, mainland China and Taiwan. Turkey shipments to the Philippines and Taiwan rose 776 and 492 percent, respectively, from July 2011. China imported 51 percent more turkey meat in July 2012 than it did during the same month in 2011.

U.S. egg shipments in July totaled 23.6 million dozen, up 16 percent from 2011. Exports in July may have been supported by relatively low prices in the preceding months. The primary reason for the increase is relatively low egg prices, said the USDA report. In the second quarter, wholesale prices for one dozen grade A large eggs in the New York market averaged $1.07. The three largest U.S. egg markets are Hong Kong, Japan and Canada. Among these three markets, egg shipments to Hong Kong were the largest at 4.9 million dozen, a 19 percent increase from July 2011. Canada had the largest increase from 2011 numbers, at 36.7 percent. Japan imported 7.7 percent more eggs in July 2012 than the same time in 2011.

For more poultry and egg information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

US broiler trade down, turkey trade up November 2011

November 2011 broiler shipments in the U.S. totaled more than 606.2 million pounds, a 9-percent drop from 2010 numbers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The decline reflects large drops to Russia, Cuba and Angola, but some major markets including Iraq, China and South Korea partly offset the decline. When comparing broiler shipments in November 2011 to those shipped in November 2010, shipments to Iraq increased by 300 percent, while shipments to China and South Korea increased 140 percent and 81 percent, respectively, over the same period. Although November 2011 exports were down from 2010, broiler exports are expected to remain relatively strong. From September through December 2011, the average legquarter price (wholesale price in the Northeast) has ranged from 51.9 cents to 53.1 cents per pound, which likely indicates continued strong export demand. Because broiler exports were strong during October and November 2011, the 2011 four-quarter projection was revised up 50 million pounds, pushing total projected shipments to 1.85 billion pounds. U.S. turkey shipments totaled 68.6 million pounds in November 2011, a 6-percent increase from 2010 numbers. Mexico has been the largest U.S. turkey market for years and continues to account for at least 50 percent of the U.S. total turkey shipments. Besides Mexico, the increase in November 2011 turkey shipments consisted of strong imports from Hong Kong. Hong Kong imported over 6.4 million pounds, which was 9 percent of U.S. total turkey exports in November 2011. 

US broiler, turkey trade up over 2010

Five markets represented one-third of total broiler exports for July.

U.S. broiler and turkey shipments rose in July from 2010 numbers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Broiler shipments totaled 668 million pounds, an increase of 28.6% from July 2010 shipments. Countries that made major contributions to this increase include Russia, Hong Kong, Angola, Cuba and Georgia. Together, these five markets represented 33% of the total broiler exports for July 2011, compared with 18% in 2010.
Turkey shipments totaled 53 million pounds, a 1% increase from 2010. Most of the increase in turkey shipments went to Mexico, which imported 4 million pounds, or 15% more turkey meat than it did in July 2010, and accounted for 58% (30.4 million pounds) of the U.S. total turkey shipments. Percentage-wise, Canada and Hong Kong saw the largest increases in turkey shipments in July 2011. Almost 3 million pounds of turkey meat was exported to Hong Kong, the third-largest market for U.S. turkey, 60% more than in 2010.
For more poultry and grains statistics, please visit www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.