7218.0.55.001 - Livestock and Meat, Australia, March 2010 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 06/05/2010   
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NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE Release Date
April 2010 7 June 2010
May 2010 7 July 2010
June 2010 6 August 2010



INTRODUCTION

This publication presents statistics on livestock slaughterings and meat production. These statistics are based on a monthly collection from abattoirs and other major slaughtering establishments. More detailed information on this series can be obtained by referring to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) quarterly publication, Livestock Products, Australia (cat. no. 7215.0).

Additional time series spreadsheets containing state/territory and national data are available from the Downloads tab for this publication. These spreadsheets contain original, seasonally adjusted and trend estimates for slaughtering and meat production for bulls, bullocks and steers, cows and heifers, cattle (excluding calves), calves, sheep, lambs and pigs.

The ABS welcomes any comments from readers regarding the usefulness, range and quality of the statistics presented in this publication. Comments can be forwarded to: The Environment and Agriculture Business Statistics Centre, Australian Bureau of Statistics, GPO Box 66, Hobart TAS 7001. Alternatively, email <agriculture.statistics@abs.gov.au> or phone (03) 6222 5846.


INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.


SUMMARY COMMENTARY


LIVESTOCK
  • In March 2010, the trend estimate for cattle slaughterings increased for the first time since June 2009, up to 616 thousand.
  • The trend estimate for sheep slaughterings continued to fall in March 2010, down to 621 thousand, a decrease of 33% from March 2009.
  • The trend estimate for lamb slaughterings fell again in March 2010 to 1.5 million, a 14% decrease from March 2009.
  • Pig slaughterings in March 2010 remained steady at 376 thousand.

LIVESTOCK SLAUGHTERED, Australia - March 2010

Original
Seasonally Adjusted
Trend
no.
no.
no.

Cattle (excl. calves)
703 017
620 707
615 896
Calves
52 627
73 131
73 675
Sheep
662 286
571 265
621 434
Lambs
1 680 550
1 538 627
1 518 901
Pigs
419 556
374 078
375 974




MEAT
  • In March 2010, the trend estimate for beef production increased, up to 168 thousand tonnes, following 8 consecutive months of decline.
  • The trend estimate for mutton production in March 2010 continued to decline, down to 13 thousand tonnes, a decrease of 32% from March 2009.
  • The trend estimate for lamb production in March 2010 decreased for the seventh consecutive month, down to 32 thousand tonnes.
  • Pig meat production remained steady in March 2010 at 27 thousand tonnes.

MEAT PRODUCED, Australia - March 2010

Original
Seasonally Adjusted
Trend
t
t
t

Beef
193 497
169 395
167 514
Veal
3 377
3 763
3 648
Mutton
14 204
12 251
13 238
Lamb
36 390
32 765
32 110
Pig meat
30 690
27 455
27 435