MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Record meat export year for Uruguay

Uruguay meat exports increased 21.46% in 2005 over 2004 according to the latest release from the Uruguayan Meat Board.

Until December 24, shipments totalled 445.354 tons compared to the 366.650 of 2004. Of this total, 63% was beef; 2.4% lamb; 1.15 equine and the rest by products.

In 2005 beef shipments reached 279.499 tons, 15% over 2004; and 10.552 of lamb which represented a 41.31% jump compared to 2004.

Meat exports represented for Uruguay 853.2 million US dollars, 140 million more than the 712.45 million US dollars of 2004. Beef exports totalled 731 million US dollars in 2005. As to the average ton price, beef was 1.597 US dollars (1.543 in 2004), while lamb averaged 2.270 US dollars per ton compared to 2.304 US dollars the year before.

NAFTA members, (United States, Mexico and Canada) became the main buyers of Uruguayan meat with 77.82% of the total 2005 exported volume. United States purchased 332.639 tons equivalent to 482 million US dollars. A distant second was the European Union with 45.080 tons, which represents 9.84% and Argentina and Brazil totalling 3.56%.