Uruguay's Exports Up 2 Percent in January

The "slight increase" was credited to "the growth in exports of cellulose, dairy products, rice and other foods, as well as the sustained decline in beef exports," the agency said in a report.

Pulp was the leading export product for the second month in a row, bringing in 168 million dollars in January, a 91 percent jump compared to January 2022 and accounting for 20 percent of total monthly exports.

Beef was the second-leading export, generating 131 million dollars in foreign revenue, a 39 percent drop year-on-year, and representing 15 percent of total exports.

Dairy products came in third, followed by other foods, including seeds, processed foods and eggs worth 72 million dollars and rice worth 50 million dollars.

Brazil was the primary market for Uruguayan exports in January, importing 137 million dollars.

In 2022, Uruguay saw record exports of 13.36 billion dollars for the year, up 16.5 percent.

Meantime, drought in Uruguay has had a "direct impact" on farming production, causing about 1.17 billion US dollars in losses or 1.9 percent of the country's GDP, the country's agriculture ministry said.

A breakdown showed agriculture suffered losses of 490 million dollars, livestock with losses of 440 million dollars and dairy with 100 million dollars in losses.

The figure was a preliminary estimate up for review, agriculture minister Fernando Mattos said, adding that the government has taken steps to alleviate the situation.

He called for more structural measures regarding water use for production and consumption.

In October 2022, the ministry declared an agricultural emergency due to a nationwide shortage of rain for the first time in years.

According to official data, agro-industrial goods account for over 80 percent of the South American country's exports.

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