Chicken exports in April this year were 263,803 metric tons valued at $323.61 million compared with 280,579 tons valued at $306.10 million in April 2010, a 6.0-percent decrease in quantity but a 5.7 increase in value. Broiler parts, within the chicken category, were 242,354 tons valued at $285.81 million this April, 6.5 percent less in quantity than April 2010 but 6.4 percent more in value compared with a year earlier. Whole chickens were up in both quantity and value with a 4.0-percent increase in quantity and an 8.2-percent increase in value. Prepared chicken & sausages were off 6.0 percent in quantity and down 3.9 percent in value.
| U.S. Chicken Exports during the Month of April | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Value | |||||
| 2010 | 2011 | Change | 2010 | 2011 | Change | |
| — metric tons — | – percent – | — million dollars — | – percent – | |||
| Broiler parts | 259,301 | 242,354 | -6.5 | 268.695 | 285.809 | 6.4 |
| Whole chickens | 14,536 | 15,113 | 4.0 | 15.291 | 16.551 | 8.2 |
| Prepared chicken & sausages | 6,742 | 6,336 | -6.0 | 22.113 | 21.252 | -3.9 |
| Total | 280,579 | 263,803 | -6.0 | 306.099 | 323.612 | 5.7 |
Chicken exports during the first four months of 2011 totaled 1,068,838 metric tons valued at $1,239.68 million, 1.7 percent above the 1,050,485 tons during January-April 2010 and 7.8 percent higher than the $1,150.33 million a year earlier. Broiler parts inched ahead of a year ago with a 0.9-percent increase in quantity–989,160 tons this year compared with 980,192 tons last year. The value of parts increased by 7.1 percent from $1,018.27 million last January-April to $1,090.67 million for the first four months of this year. Whole chickens increased 17.1 percent in quantity and 21.6 percent in value, while prepared chicken & sausages were up 6.8 percent in quantity and 7.9 percent in value.
| U.S. Chicken Exports during the Period of January-April | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Value | |||||
| 2010 | 2011 | Change | 2010 | 2011 | Change | |
| — metric tons — | – percent – | — million dollars — | – percent – | |||
| Broiler parts | 980,192 | 989,160 | 0.9 | 1018.27 | 1090.67 | 7.1 |
| Whole chickens | 44,751 | 52,398 | 17.1 | 47.4 | 57.65 | 21.6 |
| Prepared chicken & sausages | 25,542 | 27,280 | 6.8 | 84.66 | 91.36 | 7.9 |
| Total | 1,050,485 | 1,068,838 | 1.7 | 1150.33 | 1239.68 | 7.8 |
Hong Kong and Mexico were the top two broiler parts markets in April 2011. Hong Kong took 44,148 tons valued at $61.85 million, up 1.4 percent in quantity, but down 3.2 percent in value. Mexico took 30,298 tons in April 2011, a decrease of 17.9 percent in quantity, but the value increased to $29.58 million, an 8.8-percent increase when this April 2011 is compared with April 2010. Russia, the third largest parts market in April, had 11,772 tons valued at $12.93 million compared with no exports of parts in April last year.
Next week’s issue of the Washington Report will present the export data for the top 15 broiler parts markets for April and January-April.
