Australian beef exports to Indonesia reached a monthly record of 3762 tonnes (shipped weight) in April, despite the strong dollar impacting Australia's competitiveness, according to Meat and Livestock Australia.
MLA today reports that total shipments to Indonesia jumped 121pc compared with April 2007, including a 120pc surge in frozen volumes to 3490t (swt) and a 132pc rise in the chilled portion to 272t.
MLA says the increase during the month was a result of soaring manufacturing shipments, which jumped three fold year-on-year, to 2438t, and accounted for 65pc of the total for the month.
Shipments to Indonesia during January to April 2008 totalled 9555t, up 38pc compared to the same period in 2007. This figure was boosted by a 64pc jump in manufacturing beef volumes, at 5823t.
During this period Australian exports of 80CL (chemical lean) manufacturing beef shifted from the east coast of the US to South-East Asia, including Indonesia and the Philippines.
In Indonesia, the majority of Australian manufacturing beef was used in the production of meat balls and sausages.
Despite the Indonesian Government's recent plan to open the market to Brazilian beef, Australian exports to Indonesia are expected to remain firm, MLA says.
Rising Brazilian cattle prices are expected to make Australian manufacturing beef increasingly competitive.