Chicken exports in April this year continued the robust experience seen so far this year with an 18.1-percent increase in quantity and a 26.7-percent increase in value. Tonnage was 304,375 metric tons valued at $399.18 million this April compared with 257,669 tons valued at $315.10 million in April 2011. Within the chicken category, chicken parts were 293,484 tons valued at $370.12 million in April 2012 compared with a year earlier exports of 236,429 tons valued at $277.81 million, a 24.1-percent increase in quantity and a 33.2-percent increase in value. Increased exports were experienced for prepared chicken and sausages, up 20.0 percent in quantity and up 17.7 percent for value. Whole chickens, on the other hand, decreased 77.2 percent in quantity and were down 72.7 percent in value.
Chicken exports in April 2011 and April 2012 were as follows:
| U.S. Chicken Exports during the Month of April | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Value | |||||
| 20110 | 2012 | Change | 2011 | 2012 | Change | |
| – metric tons – | – percent – | – million dollars – | – percent – | |||
| Chicken parts | 236,429 | 293,484 | 24.1 | 277.81 | 370.12 | 33.2 |
| Prepared chicken & sausages | 6,226 | 7,472 | 20.0 | 20.88 | 24.59 | 17.7 |
| Whole chickens | 15,014 | 3,419 | -77.2 | 16.41 | 4.47 | -72.7 |
| Total | 257,669 | 304,375 | 18.1 | 315.10 | 399.18 | 26.7 |
For the first four months of this year 2012 chicken exports totaled 1,205,721 metric tons valued at $1,537.24 million, 15.4 percent ahead of the 1,044,893 tons during January-April 2011 and 27.4 percent above the $1,206.96 million year earlier. Chicken parts increased 20.1 percent in quantity and 33.8 percent in value. Also, increasing were exports of prepared chicken and sausages with an 11.7 percent rise in quantity and a 9.0 percent gain in value. Whole chickens decreased 70.2 percent in quantity and decreased 62.6 percent in value during January-April 2012.
Chicken exports during January-April 2011 and January-April 2012 were as follows:
| U.S. Chicken Exports for the Period of January-April | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Value | |||||
| 2011 | 2012 | Change | 2011 | 2012 | Change | |
| – metric tons – | – percent – | – million dollars – | – percent – | |||
| Chicken parts | 966,326 | 1,160,506 | 20.1 | 1,060.34 | 1,418.24 | 33.8 |
| Prepared chicken & sausages | 26,638 | 29,749 | 11.7 | 89.64 | 97.66 | 9.0 |
| Whole chickens | 51,929 | 15,466 | -70.2 | 56.98 | 21.33 | -62.6 |
| Total | 1,044,893 | 1,205,721 | 15.4 | 1,206.96 | 1,537.24 | 27.4 |
In April this year the top three chicken parts markets were Mexico, Hong Kong and Russia. Parts to Mexico this April were 389,908 tons valued at $45.03 million, a 28.4-percent increase in quantity and a 52.2-percent increase in value when compared with a year earlier. Parts to Hong Kong were 35,852 tons valued at $50.66 million, a decrease of 18.8 percent for quantity and a decrease of 18.1 percent for value. Russia was the third largest parts market in April with 28,354 tons valued at $31.87 million, increases of 140.9 percent and 146.5 percent for quantity and value, respectively. On a value basis, Canada was the fourth largest parts market with its quantity at 11,895 tons valued at $30.26 million, up 39.4 percent in quantity over April 2011 and up 50.6 percent in value compared with year earlier.
Next week’s issue of the Washington Report will include the results for the top 15 chicken parts markets.
