Lamb exports grow while beef dwindles

Domestic cattle prices might be surging over lamb, but sheep are emerging as the leaders on the world stage for red meat.

International markets are hungry for lamb and mutton, and less interested in beef, the latest export figures show.

Red meat exports fell in September by 6 per cent year-on-year to 124,698 tonnes, but the overall fall masked a lift in sheep meat.

Beef exports dragged the figure down, and were 12 per cent lower than the same month a year ago, at about 70,300 tonnes, as most markets pulled back their intakes.

Australia’s biggest beef market, Japan, took 26 per cent less beef in September, at 15,791 tonnes, but other markets including the US were also down dramatically.

Meat and Livestock Australia marketing and insights business analyst Tim Jackson said September saw the lowest share of exports going to Japan since December last year, with 22.5 per cent of the total.

Lamb exports rose 15 per cent compared to the same month last year, hitting 25,026 tonnes. Picture: Zoe Phillips

“Beef exports have fallen across most markets but have held firm in South Korea and even rose in China,” Mr Jackson said.

“Of Australia’s major export markets, the United States saw the largest decline in volume to 8589 tonnes – a 44 per cent decline from September 2021.

“This figure is exaggerated by the rollout of new export certification software in the United States, which caused delays in processing data and meant that exports in the final week of September were not included in the total figures.”

Chinese imports of beef rose 20 per cent, mostly due to a larger take of grass-fed beef, and exports to South Korea were firm at 13,635 tonnes.

In contrast, lamb and mutton exports rose 5 per cent year-on-year to 37,648 tonnes, with lamb taking the lead.

Mr Jackson said mutton exports dipped 9 per cent to 12,622 tonnes but lamb exports rose 15 per cent to 25,026 tonnes.

China dominated the sheepmeat market and imported 8 per cent more mutton than last September, but took less lamb.

And there are some new players in lamb exports taking increased amounts including Papua New Guinea, which bought 2320 tonnes of Australian lamb, up 110 per cent on this time last year.

“So far this year, lamb exports to Papua New Guinea and South Korea have risen by 75 per cent and 58 per cent respectively, establishing these nations as Australia’s third and fourth largest lamb export markets in a display of Australian lamb’s increasingly diverse export base,” Mr Jackson said.