1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2004  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/02/2004   
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Contents >> Agriculture >> Meat production and slaughterings

Tables 14.42 and 14.43 show details of slaughtering and meat production from abattoirs, and from commercial poultry and other slaughtering establishments. They include estimates of animals slaughtered on farms and by country butchers. The data relate only to slaughtering for human consumption and do not include animals condemned or those killed for boiling down.

Production of beef for 2002-03 increased 2% to just over 2.0 million tonnes. Production of beef has reached record levels in recent years, with a comparatively weak Australian dollar and lower world supply leading to strong export demand and higher market prices. However, a weakening in the United States of America demand and a stronger Australian dollar in 2003 may alter this trend.

Changing patterns in consumer demand and in sheep and lamb supply have seen production of lamb meat exceed production of mutton for the last four years. In 2002-03, lamb production decreased by 5% to 329,000 tonnes, and mutton production decreased by 9% to 268,000 tonnes.

Significant changes have taken place in the pig meat producing industry in recent years. Capital investment and corporate takeovers have seen the emergence of a few large companies producing a significant proportion of all pig meat sold in Australia. These moves, on top of the trend to more intensive and efficient production techniques, have seen pig meat production rise steadily since the mid-1970s when production dipped to a low of 174,000 tonnes. In 2002-03 pig meat production increased 6% to 420,000 tonnes, more than double its low point in 1976.

14.42 PRODUCTION OF MEAT

Carcass weight
Dressed weight


Beef
Veal
Mutton
Lamb
Pig
meat
Total
red meat
Chicken
meat
Total
poultry(a)
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes

1997-98
1,911
44
333
284
358
2,930
544
587
1998-99
1,973
38
316
312
370
3,009
564
607
1999-2000
1,952
36
333
347
363
3,031
598
638
2000-01
2,086
33
348
367
365
3,200
619
657
2001-02
1,996
31
296
348
396
3,067
667
705
2002-03
2,035
38
268
329
420
3,090
690
726

(a) Includes other fowls, turkeys, ducks and drakes.
Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0); ABS data available on request, Poultry and Game Birds Slaughtered Collection.

14.43 LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY SLAUGHTERED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

Cattle
Calves
Sheep
Lambs
Pigs
Chickens
Other fowls(a) and turkeys
Ducks and drakes
mill. head
mill. head
mill. head
mill. head
mill. head
mill. head
mill. head
mill. head

1997-98
8.1
1.3
16.3
15.0
5.1
364.2
10.7
2.9
1998-99
7.9
1.2
15.1
16.1
5.2
375.0
10.2
3.5
1999-2000
7.5
1.1
15.9
17.6
5.0
394.0
9.5
4.1
2000-01
7.9
1.0
16.6
18.6
5.0
398.9
8.4
4.0
2001-02
7.6
1.0
14.4
17.4
5.4
415.6
8.6
4.0
2002-03
8.1
1.1
13.7
16.9
5.7
419.2
9.2
4.1

(a) Comprises hens, roosters, turkeys etc.
Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0); ABS data available on request, Poultry and Game Birds Slaughtered Collection.

Table 14.44 shows the gross value of livestock slaughterings over recent years. The value of slaughterings and other disposals has increased in each of the last five years, with 20% increases in both 2000-01 and 2001-02.

14.44 GROSS VALUE OF LIVESTOCK SLAUGHTERINGS AND OTHER DISPOSALS

Cattle and calves
Sheep and lambs
Pigs
Poultry
Total(a)
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m

1996-97
3,597.0
1,042.6
764.8
932.0
6,376.3
1997-98
4,138.2
1,066.2
709.8
1,053.6
6,991.9
1998-99
4,476.6
1,053.5
689.7
1,018.5
7,255.8
1999-2000
5,048.7
1,053.5
791.7
1,030.8
7,944.2
2000-01
6,430.6
1,401.8
822.3
1,060.2
9,737.8
2001-02
7,142.4
2,117.6
967.7
1,174.9
11,434.5

(a) Includes value of other livestock.
Source: Agriculture, Australia (7113.0); Value of Principal Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, Preliminary (7501.0).

The largest customers for Australian beef in recent years have been the United States of America, Japan and the Republic of (South) Korea. In 2002-03 the United States of America was the main customer for Australian beef with 355,000 tonnes purchased, 13% less than the previous year's shipment. Japan was Australia's second largest customer with 278,000 tonnes purchased, also up 13% on the previous year. The Republic of (South) Korea was the third largest importer of Australian beef, purchasing 87,000 tonnes.

Table 14.45 shows the volume of exports of fresh, chilled or frozen meat. Beef was again Australia's major meat export in 2002-03 with shipments of the major component, bone-out beef, remaining steady at 893,300 tonnes after a 5% decline the previous year. Exports of bone-in mutton in 2002-03 decreased for the second year in row, down 4% to 109,100 tonnes.

14.45 EXPORTS OF FRESH, CHILLED OR FROZEN MEAT

Beef(a)
Veal
Mutton
Lamb
Pork





Bone-in
Bone-out
Bone-in
Bone-out
Bone-in
Bone-out
Bone-in
Bone-out
Meat
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
'000 tonnes
’000 tonnes

1997-98
46.9
795.9
1.8
5.5
107.8
59.1
62.2
8.8
12.3
1998-99
61.0
836.6
1.6
6.1
114.7
51.4
71.6
9.3
16.5
1999-2000
45.5
818.7
1.6
7.4
120.9
55.5
86.6
11.1
39.2
2000-01
42.0
940.3
2.1
6.4
127.8
63.8
103.7
12.3
43.9
2001-02
34.1
892.3
2.4
7.1
113.9
52.1
104.6
13.8
59.0
2002-03
37.4
893.3
3.6
6.5
109.1
52.2
87.7
14.3
62.8

(a) Includes buffalo meat.
Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0).

Table 14.46 shows the number, gross weight, gross value and unit value of live sheep and cattle exports. The number of live sheep exported in 2002-03 decreased by 9% to 5.8 million head. However, a 15% increase in unit value lifted the value of live sheep exports by 4% to $407.1m. The number of live cattle exported in 2002-03 increased 22% to 975,000 and despite an 11% fall in the average unit value, the value of exports of live cattle increased 8% to $569m.

14.46 LIVE SHEEP AND CATTLE EXPORTS
Live sheep exports
Live cattle exports


Number
Gross weight
Gross value
Unit value
Number
Gross weight
Gross value
Unit value
’000
’000 tonnes
$’000
$
’000
’000 tonnes
$’000
$

1997-98
4,961.1
256.0
193,266
38.96
694.0
255.4
334,058
481.34
1998-99
4,958.7
254.9
181,671
36.64
713.0
264.7
342,667
480.57
1999-2000
4,858.6
243.3
180,345
37.12
845.7
317.1
432,645
511.60
2000-01
5,936.0
283.6
257,661
43.41
845.8
314.3
481,827
569.66
2001-02
6,443.2
318.0
391,705
60.79
797.0
293.5
525,535
659.41
2002-03
5,839.4
272.7
407,068
69.71
975.0
362.0
569,013
583.62

Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0).



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