EU to import more South American beef
Reports indicate that EU countries are likely to import more beef from South America in 2010.
Beef production in the EU-15 (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK) is set to fall 1.6% to 7.1 million tonnes in 2009, according to the latest data from the Common Market Organization Forecasting Working Group.
Meanwhile, consumption is set to fall by less than 0.8%. Therefore, the deficit will increase by 23% to 295,000 tonnes, increasing the region’s dependence on other beef-producing countries. The forecasting group predicts production will fall 1% in 2010, creating a 17% deficit increase in the deficit.
The figures showed that total beef imports from the EU-27 increased 14% year-on-year during the first seven months of 2009 to 133,900 tonnes. Argentina was the largest supplier, accounting for 33% of the total, followed by Uruguay (29%) and Brazil (14%).
