US Poultry, Egg Exports Set Records in 2011
US - For US poultry and egg exports, 2011 was a record-breaking year, with significant gains in both quantity and value across the board, according to trade data released last week by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
15 February 2012
5 minute read
Some highlights:
- Combined export value of US poultry and eggs set a new record in 2011 of $5.1 billion, a 17 per cent increase over 2010.
- Total US poultry export value last year also established a new record, $4.91 billion, 17 per cent ahead of 2010.
- Total US poultry export quantity of more than 3.9 million metric tons was the second-highest ever, up nearly 6 per cent, trailing only the record year of 2008.
- Exports of US broiler meat in 2011 – excluding chicken paws – set records in both quantity and value, reaching 3.2 million tons valued at $3.6 billion, up from 2010 by 3 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.
- US turkey exports last year also registered record highs of 319,015 tons valued at $599.5 million, up 21 per cent and 29 per cent, respectively.
- Total US egg exports (table eggs, plus processed egg products calculated as shell-egg equivalents) last year reached 220.5 million dozen, up 7 per cent, the second-highest on record.
- Value of US egg exports hit $194.7 million, up 12 per cent, setting a new record high.
- Exports of chicken paws in 2011 reached 346,048 metric tons, an increase of 13 per cent from the previous year. Export value set a new record at $502.1 million, up 8 per cent.
"It's obvious from the data that exports are growing in importance for the US poultry and egg industry," said Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC). "We expect this growth trend will continue well into the future as our industry becomes more price-competitive, as USAPEEC continues to develop new markets for our products, and as economies around the world, particularly in emerging markets, continue to grow."
Broilers – Although US broiler meat shipments in 2011 to several key markets, Russia, Ukraine and Cuba included, were down significantly, increased exports to other destinations, such as Hong Kong, Korea, Iraq, Mexico, Angola, and Canada helped to drive the overall increase.
Shipments to Hong Kong increased 20 per cent to 234,769 tons, while exports to Korea jumped 54 per cent to 108,154 tons. Exports to Mexico rose by 4 per cent to 457,574 tons, while shipments to Canada climbed 12 per cent to 142,039 tons. Exports to Angola reached 164,007 tons, up 11 per cent, while shipments to Iraq (including transshipments via Turkey) were 144,983 tons, up 15 per cent.
Also, broiler shipments to other markets such as the UAE, China, Philippines, Haiti, Japan, Singapore, Jordan, Chile, Gabon, and Kazakhstan also increased significantly from the previous year.
Of the total chicken paw exports, 90 per cent were shipped to Hong Kong, up 28 per cent from 2010, while 8 per cent were shipped to China, down 41 per cent from the previous year.
Total exports of US broilers (including paws) in 2011 were 3.5 million tons valued at $4.2 billion, up 4 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively. Of the total, 43 per cent went to the top five markets of Hong Kong, Mexico, Russia, Angola, and Canada.
Turkeys – Turkey exports to Mexico, the top market for US turkey, climbed to 180,996 tons, up 24 per cent. Other key markets include China, 37,588 tons, up 12 per cent; Hong Kong, 17,194 tons, up 53 per cent; and Canada, 10,280 tons, up 7 per cent.
Of the total US turkey meat exports, 79 per cent went to the top five markets, with shipments to Mexico alone accounting for 57 per cent.
Table Eggs – For table eggs, exports in 2011 were 82.8 million dozen valued at $77 million, up 12 and 28 per cent, respectively, thanks largely to increased shipments to Hong Kong and Japan. Export value reached an all-time high.
Of total shipments, 86 per cent were shipped to the top five export markets – Hong Kong, Canada, the U.A.E., Japan, and Netherlands Antilles.
Egg Products – Export value of US processed egg products in 2011 set a record at $117.7 million, up 4 per cent from the previous year.
Shipments to Japan, the top export market for US egg products, rose by 55 per cent to $62.3 million, accounting for 53 per cent of the total global export value. Export value to the European Union declined by 40 per cent to $20.405 million, while export value to Canada decreased 20 per cent to $8.164 million. Export value to the top five markets totaled accounted for 84 per cent of the total.
