Despite this decline, shipments to some of the country’s largest markets actually increased. Exports to the US were up by a quarter, to Mexico by nearly half and to South Korea increasing by 28 per cent.

Meanwhile, there was a reduction in shipments to Japan, Canada’s second largest market after the US, although they were at a similar level to two years ago.

Exports to China dropped by a significant 43 per cent, compared to a year earlier, as they were displaced by more competitive EU pork.

These trends continued in the second quarter of the year, as pork exports fell by nearly 9 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier.

The total value of both fresh and frozen exports in the first half of 2015 was down 17 per cent on the same period in 2014 to C$1.29 billion, as unit prices were also lower, driven by reduced US prices following its recovery from last year’s PEDv outbreak.

A year ago, Russia was Canada’s second largest export market, after the US, with an 18 per cent share.

However, the Russian ban on imports has reduced shipments to nothing in the first half of 2015.

To partly offset this, Canada has increased its exports to a range of smaller markets, such as Taiwan, up 55 per cent, and Australia, up 64 per cent on last year, although the latter was just 12 per cent up on the first six months of 2013.

There was also significant growth in trade to Chile, New Zealand and South Africa, among others.