Within the overall chicken category, chicken parts slipped 0.1 per cent in quantity and decreased 3.0 per cent in value, according to National Chicken Council. Prepared chicken and sausages registered gains of 50.2 per cent and 28.2 per cent in quantity and value, respectively. Albeit from relatively low levels, whole chickens increased significantly with quantity up 164.9 per cent from a year earlier and value increased 169.7 per cent from May 2012.

Chicken exports for May 2012 and May 2013 were as follows:

Chicken exports during the five months of this year eked-out a 0.4 per cent gain in quantity and rose 1.0 per cent in value. For January-May 2013, chicken exports totaled 1,519,980 tons valued at $1,964.21 million compared with 1,513,690 tons valued at $1,944.05 million during the same months a year earlier.

Within the overall chicken category, parts during January-May 2013 were 1,441,179 tons valued at $1,774.12 million compared with 1,456,661 tons valued at $1,793.73 million, a 1.1 per cent decline in quantity and 1.1 per cent less in value. However, the other two sub-categories reported positive results. Prepared chicken and sausages were 43,677 tons valued at $137.81 million, 16.2 per cent more than the 37,598 tons during January-May 2012 and 11.5 per cent above $123.63 million year earlier. Whole chicken exports experienced strong growth with 35,124 tons valued at $52.29 million so far this year compared with 19,431 tons valued at $26.69 million last year during the first five months, increases of 80.8 per cent and 95.9 per cent for quantity and value, respectively.

Chicken exports for January-May 2012 and January-May 2013 were as follows:

Chicken parts exports to the top two markets, Mexico and China, in May 2013 registered increases in both quantity and value. Mexico was the top destination with a 51.6 per cent increase in quantity and a 28.1 per cent increase in value. Next top market, China had gains in both quantity and value, with a 23.5 per cent increase in quantity and a 15.0 per cent increase in value. Angola, the third largest parts destination during the first five months of this year, experienced a 27.0 per cent decrease in quantity and a 23.5 per cent decrease in value when May 2013 parts exports are compared with May 2012. Parts exports to Russia, the fourth largest market in May, were down 47.5 per cent in quantity and down 46.3 per cent in value.