Beef and veal shipments to North Korea registered the highest in July this year with a record volume of 13,157 tonnes shipped weight (swt), according to Australia’s department of agriculture
Australia also remained the largest supplier of beef to North Korea during the first half of 2014, with its market share rising to 54 per cent, up one per cent year-on-year.
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) said that this continued the high volumes of the first half of 2014, with the first seven months reaching a new high of 85,946 tonnes swt.
Australian frozen beef exports were down by one per cent year-on-year to 9,756 tonnes swt. The fall was seen for frozen grassfed beef — down five per cent year-on-year, at 8,289 tonnes swt, while frozen grainfed beef jumped 29 per cent year-on-year to 1,466 tonnes swt.
The demand for chilled grainfed beef was particularly strong at 2,050 tonnes swt — the highest since August 2011, with chilled grassfed beef rising three per cent year-on-year, to 1,351 tonnes swt.
Reports said that while chuck roll remained the most popular cut shipped to Korea during July at 2,974 tonnes swt, the volumes fell 18 per cent year-on-year. However, chilled chuck roll exports saw the largest volumes since August 2011 at 726 tonnes swt. Blade totalled 1,974 tonnes swt — up 14 per cent year-on-year, with chilled blade shipments the largest on record, at 660 tonnes swt.
North Korea also secured 24 per cent more short rib than July last year, at 1,473 tonnes swt. The proportion of short rib sent to Korea out of Australia’s total short rib exports also increased to 84 per cent from 74 per cent in July last year.
Silverside/outside was also another cut to grow in July, up 30 per cent year-on-year, to 969 tonnes swt — the highest since March 2011, according to reports.
