Between January and July this year, exports of poultry increased 44.8% in volume (87,415 metric tons), compared to the same period in 2013. Last year the US exported 94,306 MT of poultry products to Taiwan.
Estimates from the Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Taiwan are that this year could be a record year for US poultry exports to the country, as more consumers are making the switch from pork, which has seen prices increase dramatically following the outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDv) in Taiwan earlier this year.
According to the report, consumer demand for products such as chicken breast are becoming more popular, although leg quarters and drumsticks remain the key chicken products of choice.
"According to foodservice operators, especially the catering industry, there are smaller margins in pork meals due to higher pork prices. In Taipei, a lunch box costs an average of NT$80-NT$90 (US$2.60-$3.00), which is up nearly 10% from the previous year," said the report.
"The foodservice industry pays approximately NT$13 (US$0.43) per portion for the pork loin meal while they only pay NT$8 (US$0.27) for one chicken drumstick."
Taiwan’s rate of self-sufficiency for poultry products is generally over 80%, with the majority of imports coming from the US and Canada.
The report added that, according to Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture, pork prices may well stabilise in the first quarter of 2015, which could result in a decrease in imports from the US.