MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay’s total meat exports in five months reach 613 million USD

Abattoirs will be receiving 2.55 million head of cattle this year

The value of Uruguay’s meat exports in the first five months of 2010 totalled 613million US dollars which represent a 33% increase over the same period a year ago, according to the latest data from the National Meats Institute, Inac.Of those 631 million USD, 81% correspond to beef and 5% to lamb and mutton.

The volume of beef exported totalled in that period 176.689 tons and the main markets were Russia, European Union, Nafta (Mexico, Canada and the US), Mercosur and China which concentrate 79% of that total.

“For the livestock industry overall we can expect a period of growing demand and Uruguay is forecasted to slaughter 2.55 million head of cattle” said Fernando Pérez Abella, Inac vice-president.

Uruguay’s sales record was in 2008 when meat exports totalled 1.339 billion US dollars, equivalent to 22.26% of the country’s total exports making it the main sales item.

In 2009, income was down to 970 million USD (390.000 tons) but in volume they increased 3.6% over 2008; 15% over 2007 and 23% over 2006, according to Inac’s official data.