US poultry exports for the first half of 2011 set a new year-on-year record in value, while the quantity was the third-highest on record, according to trade data released last week by the Foreign Agricultural Service.

USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) reports that first-half US poultry meat exports increased by two per cent to 1.77 million metric tons, while export value of $2.16 billion rose by 10 per cent compared to the first half of 2010.

For the month of June, exports of broiler meat (excluding chicken paws) declined by 14 per cent to 236,416 tons, and value for the month dipped by less than a point to $269.1 million. The quantity decline reflects lower shipments to such key markets as Cuba, Ukraine, Taiwan, Georgia, Angola and Ghana. Shipments increased to other markets, however, such as Korea, Viet Nam, Hong Kong and Russia.

Cumulative first-half exports broiler meat (excluding paws) were 1.41 million tons, down two per cent from the same period in 2010. Export value was $1.6 billion, up eight per cent.

US broiler shipments to Mexico for the first half rose by three per cent to 225,550 tons, while exports to Hong Kong dipped by 3.7 per cent to 105,944 tons. Exports to Korea jumped by 86 per cent to 72,281 tons, and exports to Iraq (including transshipments via Turkey) were 68,214 tons, down 10 per cent.

Exports of US broiler meat to Canada were 65,283 tons, up 11 per cent, while shipments to Taiwan decreased by 10 per cent to 60,072 tons. Exports to Russia were 50,241 tons, up 95 per cent and shipments to China were down 12 per cent to 24,765 tons.

Meanwhile, exports of US chicken paws in June reached 29,593 tons, up 15 per cent from June 2010 but export value was $42.8 million, down by less than one per cent. Paw shipments to Hong Kong rose by 16 per cent to 25,565 tons, while exports to mainland China increased by 20 per cent to 3,143 tons.

Cumulative first-half exports of paws were 165,646 tons valued at $244.6 million, up 16 and six per cent year-on-year, respectively. Export value set a year-on-year record.

Record turkey meat exports

As for turkey, cumulative first-half exports reached 150,034 tons valued at $263.3 million, up 32 and 31 per cent from the June 2010, respectively, both year-on-year records.

June turkey exports were 24,310 tons valued at $45.3 million, up 16 and 24 per cent, respectively. Export value set a record for the month of June.

US turkey meat exports in June to Mexico, the top market, rose by 18.5 per cent to 13,808 tons, while shipments to China decreased by 2.5 per cent to 3,147 tons. The increase in turkey exports to Mexico is due largely to the increased pork prices relative to turkey, which encouraged Mexican meat processors to use more turkey instead of pork.

Table egg exports up for the half-year; processed products stable

For table eggs, exports for June 2011 were 5.9 million dozen, down four per cent from the same month of last year, while export value reached $5.282 million, up 14 per cent.

Cumulative exports of table eggs for the first half of 2011 were 36.9 million dozen valued at $33.4 million, up 17 and 28 per cent year-on-year, respectively.

For processed egg products, June exports were $9.4 million, down 11 per cent from June 2010. Export value to Japan, the top export market for US egg products, decreased by six per cent to $4 million. Export value to Canada increased 40 per cent year over year, and export value to EU-27 decreased 25 per cent.

Cumulative exports of egg products in the first half of 2011 were $59 million, down less than one per cent year-on-year. Exports to Japan increased 44 per cent to $28.9 million, accounting for nearly half of US total exports of egg products worldwide.

Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell-egg equivalents) for the first half of 2011 year were 110.4 million dozen, with an export value of $92.4 million, up nine and eight per cent from the same period of last year, respectively.