During January-March this year, U.S. chicken leg quarter exports totaled 439,087 metric tons, 3 percent higher than the same time a year ago when comparable exports were 424,514 tons according to USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) edition of its “International Egg and Poultry Review” released last week.  Compared with other previous first-quarter leg quarter exports, January-March 2013 were 35 percent higher than 2011 (326,275 tons); 23 percent higher than 2010 (356,522 tons); but 4 percent lower than 2009 (457,182 tons).

In April 2013, leg quarter exports were 149,536 tons, 9 percent lower than March 2013 (163,556 tons) and  4 percent lower than April 2012 (156,091 tons). In comparison, April 2013 exports were 38 percent higher than April 2011 (108,309 tons); 10 percent higher than April 2010 (135,538 tons); and 10 percent higher than April 2009 (136,072 tons). For January-April 2013 leg quarter exports totaled 588,623 tons. For January-December 2012, the exports were 1,838,714 tons, 15 percent higher than 2011 (1,597,765 tons); 5 percent higher than 2010 (1,756,339 tons); and 1 percent higher than 2009 (1,821,036 tons).

The leading markets for  leg quarters during January-April 2013 were Russia (79,562 tons); Angola (58,343 tons); Mexico (46,036  tons); Iraq (44,531 tons); Cuba (40,180 tons); Kazakhstan (22,357 tons); Ghana (20,562 tons); Taiwan (20,036 tons); Georgia (19,756 tons);, and Turkey (18,402 tons), the AMS report said.