TURKEY has come back online as a market for live sheep exports with numbers surpassing 72,000 so far this year.
Meat and Livestock Australia has published sheep export numbers to Turkey from 2017 to February 2018 – resuming a trade that has seen little or no action since 2012.
Last year saw 198,303 sheep exported to Turkey, followed up by a further 72,940 year to date, according to the Australian Live Exports Monthly Trade Summary for February 2018.
According to MLA’s Market Watch, sheep exports in February totalled 170,400 head, which was a two per cent rise on the same month last year.
The report said “the single largest recipient of Australian sheep was Turkey, where shipments came back online last year, as a result of the Turkish government seeking to provide options to address increasing prices as domestic production fell behind demand”.
“Turkey has been importing sheep from Romania and Australia, with a preference for high quality Australian sheep,” the report said.
The Romanian-bred Merinos are smaller framed than their Australian counterparts, producing a smaller carcase weight.
MLA said there were positive indications that Turkey would look to “commence the import of breeding ewes (from Australia) to support domestic breeding programs”.
While Qatar is still the leading export destination for sheep with a total of 95,000 having already made the journey so far this year, Turkey has surpassed Kuwait which has continued its decline from almost 1.5 million head in 2003 to just under 605,000 in 2017.
Kuwait has seen 41,947 head delivered so far this year.
The shipments to Qatar totalled 45,000 head, which was back 10pc compared to the same period (February) last year, however, exports still reflected the strong demand for sheep meat in the region, in particular from Qatar as demand is being driven by preparations for the 2022 Soccer World Cup.
Exports to Kuwait in February were just under 24,000 head, back 60pc year-on-year.
Demand during the religious festivals of Eid, marking the end of Ramadan, is anticipated to decline due to its occurrence in the middle of summer – as it is not uncommon for local residents to leave the region during the peak summer months.
While exports to Oman totalled 6000 head in February, a renewed focus on improving food security in the region is likely to see exports increase over the next 12-18 months.
Exports to Malaysia in February were relatively high, totalling 6555 head, which was heightened by a sea consignment (4500 head) delivered with a cattle shipment.
The monthly trade summary also shows that live exporters have been using Eastern States’ ports more, with Port Adelaide experiencing a 77pc increase to 229,977 sheep passing through the port in the past 12 months to February.
Adelaide and Sydney have also seen a 29pc (20,335) and 32pc (2464) increase in numbers respectively, although the numbers are still miniscule in comparison to Fremantle.
Live exporters have been picking up numbers before heading across to Fremantle to top up their shipments – making the consignments roughly 50/50 between Eastern States and WA.
Fremantle has also seen a 28pc increase year to date with 246,845 head leaving for export markets.
The past 12 months to February saw 1,646,801 head pass through Fremantle Port, which was down 1pc year on year.
Australia’s cattle exporters have also seen a some positive signs with a shipment to Turkey of 8150 head making up the first shipment since November 2017.
Shipments to Russia returned for the first time since March 2016, totalling 13,700 head in February, although the volume is unlikely to continue in 2018 and “fulfilled a one-off, specific order”.
Feeder and slaughter cattle exports to Indonesia in February were 35,600 head – significantly higher than the 21,000 head shipped in February 2017.
Feeder and slaughter cattle exports for the two months ending February were 74,500 head, up 22pc on the same period last year.
Despite the higher numbers compared with the same time last year, cattle exports to Indonesia continued to be challenged by the establishment of Indian buffalo meat into the wet markets across the country.
Indonesia has issued permits for an additional 100,000 tonnes of Indian buffalo meat, valid until the end of 2018, as part of continued efforts to keep beef prices affordable.
