15 APRIL 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Export Statistics for the First Half of the 2014-15 Season
Beef + Lamb New Zealand compiles lamb, mutton and beef export statistics for the country. The following is a summary of
the first six months of the 2014-15 meat export season (1 October 2014 to 31 March 2015).
Summary
Strong demand and a weaker New Zealand dollar against the US dollar led to record high returns for beef in the first six
months of this season, with the average per tonne value up 28 per cent, compared to the same period last season.
Meanwhile, the total value of lamb exports rose slightly, despite lower export volumes.
October 2014 to March 2015 exports
Lamb exports
New Zealand lamb exports decreased by 2.9 per cent in the first six months of the 2014-15 season, compared with the same
period last season.
Lamb exports to the European Union, the largest market region for New Zealand lamb, were up 3.9 per cent, to 68,700
tonnes shipped weight, in the first six months of 2014-15 compared with the same period last season. Exports to North
Asia were down 8.5 per cent, to 47,500 tonnes shipped weight, mainly driven by lower exports of carcases to China.
Shipments to North America and the Middle East were up 2.0 and 0.9 per cent, respectively.
Over the first six months of the season, lamb exports averaged $8,870 per tonne, up 5.2 per cent on the same period last
season. The total value of lamb exports rose 2.2 per cent to $1.36 billion, despite lower export volumes.
Mutton exports
In the six months to March 2015, New Zealand’s exports of mutton decreased by 18 per cent to 51,000 tonnes shipped
weight. This reflected lower mutton production in 2014-15 compared with the elevated production levels of 2013-14, when
dry conditions and dairy expansion saw more ewes processed. Shipments remained 9.2 per cent above the five-year average
for the period October to March of 46,700 tonnes.
Exports to North Asia slowed, while exports to the European Union, South Asia and North America increased in the first
six months of 2014-15. Exports to China, the largest export market for mutton in North Asia, fell 30 per cent to 31,600
tonnes shipped weight.
In the first six months of 2014-15, the total value of mutton exports decreased by 18 per cent, to $273 million, due to
the lower volumes. The average value of mutton exports remained unchanged (+0.4 per cent) at $5,350 per tonne.
Beef and veal exports
For the first six months of the 2014-15 meat export season, New Zealand beef and veal exports reached 212,100 tonnes
shipped weight – up 12 per cent or 22,600 tonnes on the corresponding period last season. It reflected a high and early
cattle processing season – particularly in relation to cull cows – and strong global demand for beef. This increase in
shipments was mainly due toconsistent high monthly volumes exported to the two main markets for New Zealand beef – the
US and China – while volumes to other main markets decreased. Exports to the US increased by 33 per cent to 122,200
tonnes shipped weight, while exports to China increased by 21 per cent to 21,000 tonnes in the first half of 2014-15.
Note: The graph represents the value of beef exports to the US for the past four seasons. The grey areas represent the
value of exports from October to March and the green areas the value of exports for the rest of the year – from April to
September.
The increase in shipments came predominantly from processing beef (+23 per cent) primarily used as an ingredient for
ground beef products such as hamburgers, while exports of boneless cuts decreased slightly (-0.8 per cent). Processing
beef and boneless cuts accounted for 54 and 34 per cent, respectively, of total beef and veal export volumes in the
first six months of the 2014-15 season.
Strong demand and a weaker New Zealand dollar against the US dollar pushed the average per tonne value of beef and veal
exports up by 28 per cent, to $7,540 per tonne, compared with $5,890 in the corresponding period last season. The
average value of New Zealand beef and veal exports to the US and China increased by 40 and 21 per cent, respectively.
In the six months to March 2015, beef and veal export returns reached a record high of $1.60 billion – up 43 per cent or
$480 million on the corresponding period last season.
All values quoted are FOB (free on board) and in New Zealand dollars.
Meat exports interactive tool
B+LNZ has developed an interactive tool for further analysis of New Zealand's meat exports. The tool allows you to
generate and download customised data and graphs of export lamb and beef statistics, by market, value and volume. Access
it at: portal.beeflambnz.com/tools/export-tool