MEAT imports fell 4.06% year on year in the eight months to August, with the declines broadly based as shipments of beef, pork, buffalo, and turkey all declined, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) reported.
The BAI said that in volume terms, imports amounted to 817,278.24 million kilograms (kg) during the eight months. The total for August was 115.11 million kg, down from 111.48 kg in July and 116.95 million kg a year earlier.
Beef shipments decreased 16.78% to 91.65 million kg during the period. This accounted for 11.21% of total shipments during the eight months.
Brazil remained the top beef supplier at 69.71 million kg, followed by Australia with 45.26 million and Ireland 23.67 million.
Pork accounted for 49.67% of meat imports with 59.13 million kg in the eight months, down 12.7% from a year earlier.
The top supplier of pork for the period was Spain, with 222.08 million kg, followed by Canada with 127.31 million and Brazil 79.11 million.
Shipments of turkey fell 44.6% to 168.7 million, while buffalo imports dropped 6.29% to 29.31 million.
Chicken shipments rose 18.3% year on year to 289.52 million kg, accounting for 35.4% of all meat imports.
Brazil supplied about 235.26 million kg, followed by the US with 122.93 million and Canada 11.93 million. — Adrian H. Halili
