INAC presented the format of the monthly statistics that will be published on the web on the 15th day of every month. During the 2009 statistical closure, technicians of DIAE announced the main indicators and how they will be published.
The Head of Information of INAC, Engineer Jorge Acosta, explained the features of the new information instrument, and Cristina Aczel, member of the team that publishes the information, explained that it will be possible to access data through the Market Information container appearing at INAC's web page www.inac.gub.uy, in the area of statistical publications.
The Director of DIAE, the Information and Economic Analysis Directorate, Engineer Pablo Caputi, talked about the leading figures of the sector: slaughter, prices, exports income, exports volume, and destinations in 2009, compared with those of 2008.
Slaughter per species
Industrial slaughter of cattle reached 2,325,692 heads. This figure is 5% higher than the cattle slaughter of the previous year (2008) when a total of 2,212,277 heads were slaughtered.
Industrial slaughter of sheep reached 2,131,200 heads. This figure is almost 20% higher than the sheep slaughter of the previous year (2008) when a total of 1,779,705 heads were slaughtered.
Slaughter of horses (39,088 heads) and of pigs (168,157 heads) remained at historical levels.
The drought suffered by the country during the first quarter of 2009 affected the composition of the cattle slaughter to a greater extent than it affected the global number of heads slaughtered since there was no strong process of stock liquidation.
In general, the year 2009 had normal figures of slaughter showing an increasing trend.
Composition of cattle slaughter
The composition of slaughter in 2009 was atypical mostly as a consequence of the drought. Pastures were in bad conditions during the first quarter of the year, although later they recovered to a great extent owing to the fact that the rainfall regime came back to normal.
The two outstanding elements of cattle slaughter were: the importance of the first and second semester of the year in the total slaughter figure was reversed, and the total proportion of females increased.
During the first semester of 2009, 1,139,389 cattle heads were slaughtered, figure that is lower to that of the first semester of 2008 (1,280,347). This relationship was reversed in the second half of 2009, when more animals were slaughtered than during the second half of 2008.
The second outstanding element is the high proportion of females slaughtered. If heifers, 6-toothed cows, and cows with full dentition are considered jointly, they accounted for 52.6 % of the slaughter in 2009, a number which significantly contrasts with what happened in the previous year (2008- 44.1%) and with the historical averages. In absolute terms, there is a difference of over 240 thousand females more slaughtered this year than the previous year.
On the contrary, steers accounted for only 45.1 % of the slaughter, which strongly contrasts with the previous year. In absolute terms this means that there were slaughtered 130 thousand less steers than the previous year.
To find figures similar to those of 2009 as to the composition of slaughter it is necessary to go back to the year 1989, when there was also a generalized drought of similar characteristics. It is expected that percentages return to historical values in 2010.
Exports of the meat sector expressed in volume
Considered in shipment weight tons, exports of the meat sector in 2009 were of 472,604 tons. This figure is almost 8% higher than that of 2008, when 438,108 tons were exported.
In terms of percentage, the increase of sheep meat exports in regard with the previous year (+ 33%) is to be pointed out, which shows the interest existing abroad for this product.
The volume of the different products exported was greater for all items, except for pig meat and meat of small game. The volume of beef, sheep meat, horse meat, poultry, offal, and byproducts exported increased.
Exports of the meat sector expressed in value
In 2009, meat products were exported for a total value of 1,221,095 thousand dollars. This figure is the highest in the history of the country, except for that of the previous year (2008), when exports reached a total of 1,478,500 thousand dollars [1].
Compared to the previous year, the meat exports income fell by approximately 17.5 %, as a consequence of the global economic crisis that completely altered markets as of September 2008.
As to the composition of income, the greatest change occurred in the fall of beef income, which went from 1,222 million dollars in 2008 to 970 million dollars in 2009. On the other hand, sheep meat exports income increased, going from almost 71 million dollars in 2008 to more than 81 million dollars in 2009.
Beef was the product that most benefited from the rising of prices in 2008, and logically, the one which most suffered the change of context as of September 2008. Sheep meat did not benefit that much from increasing prices, and therefore, it was not so much affected by the fall of prices in the different markets.
Comparison of beef and sheep meat exports performance
In 2009, 390,275 carcass weight equivalent tons of beef were exported (cw tons). This is 3.8% higher than the 376,106 cw tons of beef exported in 2008. The average income was of 2,486 USD/cw ton, which is a value 23.5 % lower than that of 2008 (3,249 USD/cw ton) but significantly higher than those of previous years (for instance, in 2007 the average income was of 2,120 USD/cw tons) [2].
The main destination for beef (in volume) has continued to be the Russian Federation with 26.6 %, followed by the European Union with 23.9 %. In comparison with 2008, the volume imported by the Russian Federation fell, and there was a slight increase of imports from the European Union and from Venezuela as noticeable facts.
As regards sheep meat exports, in 2009 they reached 31,844 cw tons, which means there was almost a 30 % increase in comparison with the previous year (2008- 24,730 cw tons). The average income was of 2,559 USD/cw tons, which means it was 10 % lower than the previous year (2,861 USD/cw ton). As it is noticeable, the country has returned to the historical trend by which the average income of sheep meat exports was higher than the beef exports average income.
In regard with markets for sheep meat, the most outstanding fact is the significant increase of imports from Jordan, which went from 2.6 % of the volume in 2008 to 15.1 % in 2009. The Russian Federation also increased its share reaching almost 6 %, and Saudi Arabian and other destinations also showed slight increases. The percentage share of the two main destinations (European Union, and Mercosur) fell to 23.9 % and 21.9 % respectively, which shows a more diversified market structure.
[1] It should be remembered that the average value of US dollars (monthly, interbank) was of 20.9 UY pesos per US dollar in 2008 and of 22.6 UY pesos per US dollar in 2009, whereby the difference in UY pesos is less.
[2] It is reminded again that the US dollar has suffered significant fluctuations in the last years. Average quotations are repeated (monthly, interbank): 2007-23.5; 2008-20.9; 2009-22.6.
