WASHINGTON – In August 2010, US chicken exports suffered a 19.2% decrease in quantity and a 20.3% decrease in value compared with August 2009, according to the National Chicken Council. Exports this August were 261,907 metric tons valued at $276.95 million compared with 324,133 tons valued at $347.48 million in August a year ago.

Broiler parts were off 19.6% in quantity and 21.8% in value, while whole chickens dropped 8.1%and 7.2% for quantity and value, respectively. Prepared chicken products and sausages declined 18.4% in quantity while slipping in value more modestly to 6.3%.


During January-August this year, chicken exports totaled 2,174,447 tons valued at $2,362.13 million compared with 2,467,626 tons valued at $2,562.23 million, an 11.9% decrease in quantity and a 7.8% decrease in value. Within the overall chicken category, broiler parts exports were 2,033,218 tons valued at $2,095.07 million for the first eight months of 2010, a decrease of 11.9% in quantity and an 8.0% decrease in value compared with January-August last year. Whole chicken exports were down 13.6% in quantity and 14.4 percent in value, while prepared chicken products and sausages fared somewhat better with a 6.2% decline in quantity and a 0.2% slip in value compared against year earlier.

Total chicken exports experienced a significant decrease in August this year, however, exports to the top five broiler parts markets (Mexico, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Angola, and Latvia) registered positive gains in quantity and value. The exception to this was a 4.0% decrease in value of parts to the Ukraine. Mexico was the top parts market with 33,400 tons of parts valued at $27.05 million in August 2010.