New Zealand red meat exports reached a record $1.6 billion in May, giving sheep and beef farmers a strong market signal after a disrupted production start to the year, with export values 44 percent higher than the same month last year.
New Zealand red meat exports reached a record $1.6 billion in May, according to Meat Industry Association data.
New Zealand red meat exports reached a record $1.6 billion in May, giving sheep and beef farmers a strong market signal after a disrupted production start to the year. Meat Industry Association data showed May export values were 44 percent higher than the same month last year and exceeded the previous monthly record of $1.4 billion set only a month earlier in April.
The result matters because red meat remains one of the country's core export earners and a major driver of regional income. High values flow through processors, transport, ports, rural contractors and farm businesses, even if the timing and margin impact vary across the chain. A record month does not mean every farmer is comfortable, but it does show international demand is still willing to pay for New Zealand product in key markets.
Sheepmeat exports were valued at $590.4 million, almost $17 million above April's record and 33 percent higher than May 2025. Beef exports were worth $771 million, up $163 million from April's record and 51 percent above last May. Meat Industry Association chief executive Nick Beeby described the figures as extraordinary and said May had surpassed an already exceptional April.
The drivers were not only price. Beeby said the increase was partly driven by higher export volumes after a lift in processing in recent months following a slow start to the year. Market mix also helped. Export values to China reached their highest levels in several years, and exports to the Gulf Co-operation Council recovered somewhat after earlier disruption linked to the Middle East conflict. Sheepmeat export volumes were up 17 percent from May last year, and the average sheepmeat export value reached a record $14.96 a kilogram.
The figures will be welcomed, but they do not remove uncertainty. Export-dependent agriculture is exposed to currency shifts, shipping costs, market access, geopolitical disruption, animal health risk and consumer demand changes. The next question is whether processors and farmers can turn this export strength into sustained returns through the rest of the season, especially if production normalises and global buyers continue to seek high-quality beef and sheepmeat from reliable suppliers.
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