Chicken exports in September this year decreased 3.4 percent in quantity and slipped 1.4 percent in value over a year earlier. Exports totaled 306,666 metric tons valued at $398.62 million this September compared with 317,442 tons valued at $404.37 million in September 2012. Within the overall chicken category, chicken parts decreased 3.6 percent in quantity and were down 2.1 percent in value. Prepared chicken and sausages registered increases of 10.9 percent and 10.1 percent in quantity and value, respectively. Whole chicken exports were off with quantity declining 8.6 percent from a year earlier and value decreasing 5.8 percent from September 2012.
Chicken exports for September 2012 and September 2013 were as follows:
| U.S. Chicken Exports during the Month of September | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Value | |||||
| 2012 | 2013 | Change | 2012 | 2013 | Change | |
| – metric tons – | – percent – | – million dollars – | – percent – | |||
| Chicken parts | 303,752 | 292,770 | -3.6 | 370.50 | 362.73 | -2.1 |
| Prepared chicken & sausages | 7,094 | 7,867 | 10.9 | 25.02 | 27.54 | 10.1 |
| Whole chickens | 6,596 | 6,029 | -8.6 | 8.86 | 8.35 | -5.8 |
| Total | 317,442 | 306,666 | -3.4 | 404.37 | 398.62 | -1.4 |
Chicken exports during nine months of this year posted an 0.8 percent gain in quantity and a 2.4 percent rise in value. For the first three -quarters of this year, chicken exports totaled 2,783,372 metric tons valued at $3,608.85 million compared with 2,761,728 tons valued at $3,523.82 million during the same nine months a year earlier.
Within the overall chicken category, parts during January-September were 2,640,937 metric tons valued at $3,264.40 million compared with 2,652,264 tons valued at $3,243.14 million, a 0.4 percent decrease in quantity but a 0.7 percent increase in value. The other two subcategories reported positive, more impressive results. Prepared chicken and sausages were 80,639 tons valued at $255.22 million, 19.2 percent more than the 67,633 tons during January-September 2012 and 14.7 percent above $222.61 million a year earlier. Whole chicken exports recorded strong growth with 61,796 tons valued at $89.23 million so far this year compared with 41,831 tons valued at $58.07 million last year during the first nine months, increases of 47.7 percent and 53.6 percent for quantity and value, respectively.
Chicken exports for January-September 2012 and January-September 2013 were as follows:
| U.S. Chicken Exports during the Period of Jan-Sept | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Value | |||||
| 2012 | 2013 | Change | 2012 | 2013 | Change | |
| – metric tons – | – percent – | – million dollars – | – percent – | |||
| Chicken parts | 2,652,264 | 2,640,937 | -0.4 | 3,243.14 | 3,264.40 | 0.7 |
| Prepared chicken & sausages | 67,633 | 80,639 | 19.2 | 222.61 | 255.22 | 14.7 |
| Whole chickens | 41,831 | 61,796 | 47.7 | 58.07 | 89.23 | 53.6 |
| Total | 2,761,728 | 2,783,372 | 0.8 | 3,532.82 | 3,608.85 | 2.4 |
Mexico was the top market for chicken parts exports in September 2013 and registered an increase of 4.0 percent in quantity and an 8.2 percent increase in value. The second top market, China, had a decrease in quantity of 27.5 percent and a decrease of 19.3 percent in value. Russia, the third largest parts market, in September had a 23.5 percent increase in quantity and 17.4 percent increase in value. Angola, the fourth largest parts destination, experienced a 1.9 percent decrease in quantity but an 0.5 percent increase in value when September 2013 parts exports are compared with September 2012. Parts exports to Hong Kong, the fifth largest market in September, were off 4.7 percent in quantity but up 4.2 percent in value.
Next week’s Washington Report will report on chicken parts exports for the top 15 markets for September 2013 and January-September 2013.
