AUSTRALIA’S goat meat exports reached their highest recorded monthly level in October, Meat and Livestock Australia has reported.

And mutton shipments rose to their highest monthly volume in 10 years, while lamb exports fell slightly.

MLA global supply analyst Tim Jackson Australian beef and goat meat both set new monthly records for export volumes last month.

And beef, lamb, mutton and goat meat are all on track for record export volumes in 2024.

Mr Jackson said goat meat exports rose 48pc year-on-year to 5772 tonnes in October, the single largest monthly export volume recorded.

“The largest market for goat meat was the United States, with exports rising 43pc year-on-year to 2827 tonnes, making up over half of the month’s total goat meat exports.

“The majority of the remainder of goat meat went to South Korea and China,” he said.

“For the year, exports of goat meat are already higher than the previous calendar year record at 42,004 tonnes year-to-October compared to 35,780 tonnes for the previous record year of 2014.”

Mutton exports up 35pc

Mr Jackson said mutton exports rose 35pc year-on-year to 27,217 tonnes in October, the largest monthly figure since 1994.

“China remained the largest market, accounting for over half of exports with a total of 14,613 tonnes – 43pc above October 2023.

“The largest rise in exports came from Malaysia, where exports lifted 87pc year-on-year to 3,164 tonnes, while exports to the US rose 53pc year-on-year to 2,040 tonnes.”

Lamb exports fall 13pc

Mr Jackson said exports of lamb fell 13pc year-on-year to 26,673 tonnes in October.

“This was largely due to a 38pc year-on-year decline in exports to China.

“Despite the decline in exports to China, it remained the second-largest market for lamb over the month,” he said.

“The largest market for the month was the US, where exports lifted 18pc year-on-year to 6681 tonnes.

“This is following the trend observed throughout the year; exports to the US year-to-date have lifted 32pc to 71,943 tonnes,” Mr Jackson said.

“In the year-to-October, lamb exports have lifted 14pc from 2023 levels to 303,854 tonnes.

“This indicates that 2024 is likely to be a record year for lamb exports.”

Beef exports set new monthly record

Mr Jackson said exports of beef rose 24pc from last year to 130,049 tonnes, the largest export volume in a single month on record, beating the previous record set in July.

“The US was the largest market for Australian beef for the month, with exports rising 64pc year-on-year to 45,338 tonnes.

“This is the second-highest volume of beef exported to the US in a single month,” he said.

“While frozen exports made up the majority of beef exported, chilled exports saw an 88pc rise year-on-year to 11,572 tonnes, the highest chilled volume to the US on record.”

Mr Jackson said after the US, South Korea was the second largest market for Australian beef and exports there rose 13pc year-on-year to 19,733 tonnes.

“The largest increase in exports came from Indonesia; 11,026 tonnes were exported to Indonesia, 95pc more than October last year

“So far this year, 1.1 million tonnes of beef has been exported, the highest year-to-October figure on record,” he said.

“As forecast in the latest Cattle Projections, Australian beef is well positioned to end the year with 2024 volumes breaking the previous record set in 2014. “

Source – MLA.