1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2003   
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Contents >> Agriculture >> Meat production and slaughterings

Tables 16.52 and 16.53 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 2000-01 increased slightly to 2.1 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.

Changing patterns in consumer demand and in sheep and lamb supply have seen production of lamb meat exceed production of mutton for the last two years. In 2000-01 lamb production increased by 6% to 367,000 tonnes, while mutton production increased by 5% to 348,000 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 2000-01 pig meat production was 365,000 tonnes, more than double its low point in 1976.


16.52 PRODUCTION OF MEAT(a)

Carcass weight
Dressed weight(b)(c)


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

1995-96
1,711
34
310
265
347
2,666
481
516
1996-97
1,772
38
296
270
336
2,712
488
524
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

(a) Excludes offal.
(b) Excludes Tas., NT and ACT.
(c) Dressed weight of whole birds, pieces and giblets.
(d) Includes other fowls, turkeys, ducks and drakes.

Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0); ABS data available on request, Poultry and Game Birds Slaughtered Collection.


16.53 LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY SLAUGHTERED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

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

1995-96
6.9
1.0
14.6
14.2
5.0
336.4
9.6
2.6
1996-97
7.3
1.1
14.3
14.6
4.8
340.9
10.0
3.1
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

(a) Comprises broilers, fryers and roasters.
(b) Excludes Tas., NT and ACT.
(c) Comprises hens, roosters, etc.

Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0); ABS data available on request, Poultry and Game Birds Slaughtered Collection.


Table 16.54 shows the gross value of livestock slaughterings over recent years. The value of slaughterings and other disposals dropped sharply in 1995-96, primarily due to a drop in the value of cattle and calves slaughtered. The value has increased in each of the last five years, with 2000-01 showing a 20% increase over 1999-2000.


16.54 GROSS VALUE OF LIVESTOCK SLAUGHTERINGS AND OTHER DISPOSALS(a)

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

1995-96
3,575.9
1,035.7
(c)597.8
(c)948.1
6,192.7
1996-97
3,597.0
1,042.6
(c)764.8
(c)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
6,216.7
1,419.2
821.8
1,059.8
9,540.4

(a) Includes adjustment for net exports of live animals.
(b) Includes value of other livestock.
(c) Excludes Tas. and NT.

Source: Agriculture Australia (7113.0); Value of Principal Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, Preliminary (7501.0).


The biggest customers for Australian beef in recent years have been Japan, the United States of America and the Republic of Korea. In 2000-01 the United States of America was the main customer for Australian beef with 406,000 tonnes purchased, up 25% from the previous year's shipment. Japan was Australia's second biggest customer with 348,000 tonnes purchased, up 3% from the previous year. The Republic of Korea was the third largest importer of Australian beef, purchasing 68,000 tonnes.

Table 16.55 shows the volume of exports of fresh, chilled or frozen meat. Beef was Australia's major meat export. Bone-out beef was the major meat commodity exported, and increased by 15% to 940,300 tonnes in 2000-01. Exports of bone-in lamb also increased significantly, up by 20% to 103,700 tonnes in 2000-01.


16.55 EXPORTS OF FRESH, CHILLED OR FROZEN MEAT(a)

Beef(b)(c)
Veal(b)
Mutton(b)
Lamb(b)
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

1995-96
50.7
702.6
1.7
5.3
81.0
64.3
46.3
7.8
5.7
1996-97
48.6
692.1
1.2
3.8
92.7
50.8
53.5
8.4
6.7
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

(a) Excludes offal.
(b) Factors can be applied to beef, veal, mutton and lamb bone-out figures to derive bone-in carcass weight estimates which, when added to bone-in figures, show total exports in carcass weight. The factor for beef and veal is 1.5 and that for mutton and lamb is 2.0 (Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation).
(c) Includes buffalo meat.

Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0).


Table 16.56 shows the number, gross weight, gross value and unit value of live sheep and cattle exports. The number of live sheep exported in 2000-01 increased by 22% to 5.9 million head. Increased unit value, combined with increased numbers, raised the total export value of live sheep by 43% to $257.7m. The number of live cattle exported in 2000-01 remained steady at 846,000, with the average unit value increasing by 11% to $569.66 under the influence of a strengthening Australian dollar.


16.56 LIVE SHEEP AND CATTLE EXPORTS(a)
Live sheep exports
Live cattle exports


Number
Gross weight
Gross value
Unit value(b)
Number
Gross weight
Gross value
Unit value(b)
’000
’000 tonnes
$’000
$
’000
’000 tonnes
$’000
$

1995-96
5,879.9
296.9
226,913
38.59
615.9
219.0
343,699
558.07
1996-97
5,237.2
269.8
189,944
36.27
863.8
313.9
427,721
495.19
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

(a) Excludes live sheep and cattle for breeding.
(b) Obtained by dividing the gross value by the number of sheep, or cattle.

Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0).



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