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By Alex Lennane
Australian beef and veal exports reached record highs this May with demand from China and the Middle East pushing the monthly total above 100,000 tonnes for the first time, surpassing the previous monthly record of 94,963 tonnes set back in November 2006. Quoted in The Fatcow, Senator Joe Ludwig, Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said that the government’s National Food Plan, unveiled last month, provides a roadmap for increased exports, including grants and extra agricultural counsellors in overseas markets. “Widening the range of export destinations for red meat makes Australian producers less vulnerable to market fluctuations around the world.”