Abu Dhabi's Australian red meat imports set new record

The total volumes of Australian lamb imports to the UAE for the same period nearly doubled from 7,351 tons to 13,335 tons, according to official figures released by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

"The UAE is a highly significant market for Australia's chilled and frozen meat export industry and is Australia's second largest lamb market, after the USA. " said Ian Ross, Regional Manager, MLA.

"The remarkable appeal that Australia's red meat enjoys in a country that sets such high regional and global standards is testimony to the unparalleled quality, nutritional value and taste of its products as well as to the strict adherence to Sharia-compliant slaughter procedures to guarantee the Halal attributes of the meat."

Year on year, Australian frozen lamb meat imports to Abu Dhabi increased by 52 per cent to 2050 tons while chilled imports increased by a whopping 255 per cent to 1,138 tons in the same period.

Australian mutton imports into Abu Dhabi, also saw a significant 71 per cent growth with the UAE capital importing 1,150 tons this year as compared to 671 tons in 2006.

The Middle East is the world's largest importer of Australian mutton with 52,175 tons shipped across the region in the 2006-2007 fiscal year, three times the volume shipped to the US market. The UAE imports 20 per cent of the Middle East's total Australian mutton imports.

"A booming regional population and increased standards of living in the UAE and elsewhere in the Middle East have catapulted consumer sophistication to new heights, which is reflected in life style choices such as purchasing, cooking and dining habits," said Ross.

"The more discerning that people become, the more conscious they get about fresher, healthier and nutritious food and Australian red meat products are well positioned in the market to fill this growing consumer need."