The US also can’t get enough of meat farmed in Victoria state, with the country remaining the top export nation for the state’s beef ($266 million). Japan remains the third-highest meat importer.
“A significant fall in the value of the Australian dollar also helped to drive up export volumes,” a report published last week states.
Dairy farmers also saw exports valued at $2.2 billion, up 23 per cent over 2012-13, after a year of good seasonal conditions across northern Victoria helped to improve farm profitability. The state’s wine industry, however, appears to be struggling with exports, which dropped eight per cent over last financial year.
China and UK remain the biggest drinkers of Victorian wine, but the report found prices are continuing to fall, largely due to the popularity of exporting wine in bulk to be bottled overseas.