GROWING international demand for Australian beef as US production slows, combined with higher rates of beef production in Australia have pushed May export volume to levels not seen since the 2019 period when drought herd liquidation was in full swing.

Australia’s monthly beef exports for May reached 113,923 tonnes, preliminary DAFF trade data shows – the biggest monthly number seen since December 2019, and the largest in-month May figure since the nation’s previous drought in May 2015.

The elevated production trend is clearly seen in weekly national slaughter data, which has hit new season highs for each of the past three full production weeks, reaching more than 142,000 head last week.

Year to date, exports volume has now reached just short of 500,000t, the highest five-month total seen since the 2015 drought year.

The sharp rise seen in trade into the United States since September last year continued, with May shipments total more than 30,000 tonnes.

Trade into Japan during May hit 25,435t – more than 3700t up on April shipments and 341pc higher than May last year. Much of that is due to declining export volumes of chilled and frozen grainfed beef out of the US into Japan, now being displaced by Australian product.

• More details when the complete official shipment data is released tomorrow.