Andalusia recorded a new record for meat product exports in the first half of 2021 by reaching 263 million, the highest figure achieved by the community for this period since there have been comparable records (1995), thanks to a 13.9% increase in sales compared to the first half of 2020, benefiting all Andalusian provinces and 16 of its first 20 foreign markets. These data are provided by Extenda.
This significant growth favours a very healthy trade balance abroad for the Andalusian meat sector, which contributes 218 million to the region’s trade surplus, with a coverage rate of 589%, which means that exports of meat products from Andalusia are six times higher than imports, although imports rose by 13.1% in the first half of the year, to 45 million.
Among the meat products most sold by Andalusia internationally, frozen pork stands out, accounting for half of all sales and with a turnover of 131 million in the first half of 2021, with a growth of 16.4% compared to the same period in 2020. Fresh pork exports also stand out, with 41 million sold, 15.4% of the total, despite registering a drop of 8.1%.
This is followed in the export basket by frozen poultry meat, with 18.3 million in sales, 7% of the total, and an increase of 35%. This was followed by fresh or chilled edible offal, with 14.8 million, 5.6% and a fall of 16.6%; and processed meat, with 13.5 million, 5.1%, and an increase of 32%. Frozen beef and veal is the next best-selling product group, with 11.6 million (4.4%) and an increase of 64%, followed by other meat preparations and preserves, with 9.7 million (3.7%) and an increase of 32%, and frozen sheep meat, with 4.9 million (1.9%) and an increase of 57%.
On the other hand, exports of ham and shoulder experienced significant growth, with a 60% increase in year-on-year sales, up to 10.3 million euros, which represents 3.9% of Andalusia’s total meat sales in this period.
Exports of meat products from Andalusia grew in eight of its top ten markets, six of which are non-European, which shows the geographical diversification of sales, especially to Asia and Africa, the continents with the best prospects for global growth.
China is positioned as the main market for Andalusian meat products internationally, with sales worth 104 million in the first half of the year, 39% of the total and 21.7% more than in the same period in 2020. Other Asian destinations have seen significant growth in sales, such as the Philippines, which has risen to eighth place with a sevenfold increase to 5.8 million (2.2%); South Korea, the seventh market, with an increase of 52% to 7.9 million (3%); Taiwan, which is up 4.5% to 3.5 million (1.3%) and is in ninth place; and Japan, in fifth place, with 10.4 million and an increase in sales of 7.6%.
Also noteworthy is the growth of Benin, which became the tenth market with a double increase (+105%) to 3.2 million (1.2%). Among the top twenty markets is another African country, South Africa, in 17th place, which has multiplied its imports of Andalusian meat products by 12, rising from 139,000 euros sold in the first half of 2020 to 1.6 million between January and June 2021.
Exports of Andalusian meat products in Europe are also progressing, with Portugal as the second destination market, where 52 million euros were invoiced between January and June, representing 19.7% of the total and an increase of 5.5%; followed by France, with 22.5 million, 8.6% of the total and a fall of 15.1%; Germany, with 11.2 million, 4.3% and a rise of 10.1%; and, in sixth place, Italy, with 9.3 million, 3.5% and a fall of 12.4%.
