Broiler shipments in November 2014 decreased 9.3 percent from a year earlier, totaling 569.2 million pounds. Top export partners in November included Mexico, Angola, Canada, China, and Georgia, with Mexico leading with 112.1 million pounds shipped in November. The second highest U.S. export market was Angola, with 66.6 million pounds shipped, followed by Canada with 34.6 million pounds. China and Georgia finished fourth and fifth, with exports totaling 24.4 and 18.9 million pounds, respectively. Significant quantity increases in U.S. broiler shipments in November 2014 were seen for Angola, with a year-over year increase of 29.1 million pounds.
In August, the Russian Government announced a 1-year ban on agricultural product imports from several countries, including the United States. While it is less of a destination than in prior years, Russia had been a large market for U.S. broiler exports in 2014. On a year-to-date basis through June 2014, 7.5 percent of U.S. broiler shipments had been sent to Russia. The November drop in exports to Russia (from 52.6 million pounds in November 2013) was countered by continuing strength in a number of Asian, Former Soviet Union, Middle Eastern, and SubSaharan African markets.
It has been anticipated that a share of the product that would have gone to Russia will continue to be partly absorbed by other markets, especially if the additional supply leads to downward pressure on leg quarter prices, but the scale of the absorption thus far has been greater than expected. Over the period of the ban, aggregate trade has only declined by 88.3 million pounds (3.5 percent) compared with the same period last year. Of the 200.4 million fewer pounds of broiler meat shipped to Russia than in August through November of 2013, 71.0 percent was offset by gains in other markets. USDA forecasts 7.319 billion pounds of broiler exports for 2014 and 7.360 billion pounds of broiler exports for 2015, a drop of 40 million pounds since December’s forecast. The drop is due to announcements by South Korea and China that they have temporarily banned U.S. poultry imports due to a reported Avian Influenza outbreak in the northwestern United States. About 5.5 percent of 2014 U.S. broiler meat exports through November were shipped to China and Korea, and it is likely that much of the product normally bound for those markets will be sold in other markets.
Turkey Export Rise as Shipments to Mexico Expand
U.S. turkey exports totaled 73.6 million pounds in November, 5.5 percent higher than in the previous year. Exports have been robust despite wholesale turkey prices in the United States that have been strong throughout most of the year. In addition, the value of the U.S. dollar has been rising against many other currencies. Higher shipments to Mexico accounted for a large percentage of the increase in November, totaling 42 million pounds, 57 percent of all turkey product exports. The strength in exports tended to be in higher shipments to countries such as Canada, Panama, and Guatemala, offsetting lower shipments to Benin, Angola, and Taiwan. Total turkey exports for fourth-quarter 2014 are expected to have been 225 million pounds, 12 percent higher than the previous year. Exports are also expected to continue to expand in 2015, totaling 820 million pounds, a gain of almost 3 percent from 2014 and almost 14 percent of total domestic production
Table Egg Shipments Higher, but Overall Egg Exports Fall
The shell egg equivalent of total U.S. egg exports was 35.5 million dozen in November 2014, down 9 percent from the previous year. The majority of the decline was the result of lower shipments of egg products to Japan. Total egg exports to Japan in November were 2.2 million dozen, down from over 9 million dozen in November 2013. The decline was almost entirely due to lower shipments of egg products, as Japan is not a major destination for table egg exports. The decline in shipments of egg products was partially offset by a strong increase in shipments of table eggs. In November table egg shipments totaled 24 million dozen, up 5.5 million dozen or 29 percent. Almost all the increase was accounted for by higher shipments to Canada and Mexico. Together, these countries accounted for 72 percent of all table egg exports.
Even with the decline in November, the export estimate for fourth-quarter 2014 was increased by 10 million dozen, up slightly from 2013. This increases the overall forecast for 2014 to 382 million dozen, 2.6 percent higher than in 2013. The increase in exports in 2014 is expected to have come chiefly from higher shipments to Canada and Mexico, offsetting a decline in exports to Japan.
Source: USDA