Lamb, mutton and goat made the biggest improvements in their contribution to Australia’s red meat exports in the last 12 months, Meat and Livestock Australia reported yesterday.

MLA said the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported a 31 percent increase in red meat exports for 2013-14 to A$8.96 million, with lamb, mutton and goat recording the largest percentage increases.

These compared to a 27pc increase in Australia’s beef and veal exports in 2013-14 to A$6.4billion for 1.18 million tonnes, up 17pc on the previous 12 months.

Lamb shipment returns increased 36pc to A$1.54 billion; mutton exports were valued at A$772 million, up 51 pc; and goat meat worth A$199 million, a lift of 37pc, were shipped.

The Australian lamb export volume increased 13pc, to a fiscal year record 226,306 tonnes. As with beef, the main markets contributing to the lamb value increase for the year was the United States, up 31pc to A$398 million; China, up 82pc to A$218 million, and; the Middle East, up 20pc, to A$368 million.

For mutton, total export shipments for the same period were up 27pc to 183,232 tonnes, MLA said.

Australian goat meat shipments totalled 34,621 tonnes – nine percent higher than the previous year.

MLA said the record lamb export volumes for the past fiscal year were underpinned by drought-driven, historically high slaughter levels and the export values were assisted by the lower A$. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the A$ for 2013-14 average 91US¢, compared to 102US¢ for the 2012-13 fiscal year – a decline of 11pc.