Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 7/14/09

Since the H1N1 virus media coverage began April 23, meat industry analysts have been waiting for the May export numbers to determine the real damage. The numbers are in. The damage is real.

U.S. pork exports in May totaled 104,905 metric tons, down 34 percent from a year ago, according to USDA statistics. The CME Group Daily Livestock Report noted exports were hit by the global recession and a stronger dollar as well as the H1N1 virus.

Calling the declines to some markets, "truly staggering", the DLR report noted pork exports to China and Hong Kong in May were down 40 percent from the previous month and down 82.2 percent from a year ago when exports got a boost from the Olympics. Pork exports to Mexico fell 16 percent in May from April and were 5.7 percent below a year ago. Shipments to Japan fell 13.5 percent in the month and were 15.7 percent below a year ago, according to the report.

USMEF says not so bad

The U.S. Meat Export Federation, however, said the damage doesn't look as bad when you add pork variety meats to the equation and the declines were not as steep as some analysts had predicted.

May pork plus pork variety meat exports totaled 143,682 metric tons, down 9.5 percent from April, and down 27 percent from May 2008.

"But spring of 2008 was a historic high point for U.S. pork exports, and a repeat of those results was not anticipated even before A-H1N1 influenza hampered demand and led to significant market closures for U.S. pork," USMEF said in a news release.

When compared to May 2007, pork exports in May 2009 actually increased 43 percent in volume and 36 percent in value, USMEF noted.

For the first five months of 2009, pork and pork variety meat exports were down 4 percent to 791,745 metric tons compared to the first five months of 2008, according to USMEF.

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