Livestock Products, Australia

Latest release

Quarterly statistics on livestock slaughtered and meat production

Reference period
December 2023
Released
20/02/2024
  • Next Release 16/05/2024
    Livestock Products, Australia, March 2024
  • Next Release 20/08/2024
    Livestock Products, Australia, June 2024
  • View all releases

Key statistics

In seasonally adjusted terms for the December 2023 quarter:

  • Red meat production increased 2.4%
  • Chicken meat production increased 1.1%

Livestock products (seasonally adjusted)

Cattle

  • Cattle slaughtered in the December 2023 quarter increased 4.1 % to 1.9 million.
  • Beef production in the December 2023 quarter increased 3.3 % to 583,667 tonnes.   

 

Sheep

  • Sheep slaughtered in the December 2023 quarter increased 1.4% to 2.3 million.
  • Mutton production in the December 2023 quarter increased 3.7% to 58,941 tonnes.

 

Lambs

  • Lambs slaughtered in the December 2023 quarter increased 0.4% to 6.6 million.
  • Lamb meat production in the December 2023 quarter increased 0.6% to 157,948 tonnes.

 

Pigs

  • Pigs slaughtered in the December 2023 quarter decreased 0.5% to 1.5 million.
  • Pig meat production in the December 2023 quarter increased 0.7% to 118,077 tonnes.

 

Chickens

  • Chickens slaughtered in the December 2023 quarter increased 0.01% to 182.6 million. 
  • Chicken meat production in the December 2023 quarter increased 1.1% to 361,378 tonnes. 

Gross value of livestock (original)

  • The gross value of cattle and calves slaughtered decreased 8.9% to $2.9 billion.
  • The gross value of sheep and lambs slaughtered decreased 7.6% to $883.5 million. 
  • The gross value of pigs slaughtered increased 1.4% to $438.8 million. 
  • The gross value of poultry slaughtered increased 0.02% to $999.8 million. 

Changes in this and forthcoming issues

Suspension of trend estimates

The trend series attempts to measure underlying behaviour in livestock slaughter (including poultry) and meat production.  In the short term, this measurement may be affected by changes to regular patterns in livestock slaughterings and meat production arising from continuing COVID-19 restrictions, as well as changes in overall environmental conditions.  If the trend estimates were to be calculated without fully accounting for these factors, they would likely provide a misleading view of underlying behaviour in livestock slaughter and meat production.

It may be some time before the underlying trend can be estimated accurately.  The livestock slaughtering and meat production trend series were therefore suspended from the March 2020 reference quarter, and poultry slaughtering and meat production trend series suspended from the June 2020 reference quarter.  These trend series will be reinstated when more certainty emerges in the underlying trend for these series.

For more detail on trend estimates, please refer to the ABS Feature Article: When it's Not "Business-as-Usual": Implications for ABS Time Series.

Data downloads

Time Series Spreadsheets

Data files

Data Cubes

Gross value of livestock slaughtered

Caution: Data in the Data Explorer is currently released after the 11:30am release on the ABS website. Please check the time period when using Data Explorer.

Data Explorer datatsets

For information Data Explorer and how it works, see the Data Explorer user guide.

  Livestock slaughtered – Quarterly statistics on livestock slaughtered.

  Meat produced – Quarterly statistics on meat production.

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 7215.0.

Methodology

Scope

Includes livestock and poultry slaughtering at registered abattoirs, meat production for human consumption and gross value of livestock slaughtered.

Geography

Data available for Australian and state totals.

Source

Data is sourced from commercial abattoirs and meat processors.

Collection method

A quarterly survey of commercial abattoirs and meat processors.

Concepts, sources and methods

Not applicable for this release.

History of changes

The Wool Purchases, Receivals and Sales Survey and data release (Table 16) was ceased in September 2022.

View full methodology
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