7123.4.55.001 - Agricultural State Profile, South Australia, 2006-07  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 01/10/2008   
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Contents >> Agricultural Summary, South Australia >> Livestock and livestock products

Pastoral activities, particularly sheep grazing, are widespread in South Australia. Compared with other states, cattle grazing is not a major industry in South Australia. Nevertheless, meat cattle are raised throughout the state, with the highest numbers occurring in the South East and Murray Lands Statistical Divisions. At 30 June 2007, the South Australian meat cattle herd stood at 1.1 million with 50% found in the South East Statistical Division (529,000).

LIVESTOCK SLAUGHTERINGS AND PRODUCTS: ORIGINAL, South Australia, Year ended 30 June

2005-06
2006-07
2007-08

Livestock slaughterings(a) ('000)
    Cattle
324.8
341.9
312.5
    Calves
4.4
4.9
4.6
    Sheep
1 061.9
1 414.0
1 318.1
    Lambs
3 231.2
3 251.5
3 710.4
    Pigs
1 018.9
1 047.3
1 145.7
Livestock products (tonnes)
Meat produced(b):
    Beef
83 547
90 136
80 949
    Veal
149
157
148
    Mutton
24 098
32 962
31 791
    Lamb
69 636
71 871
82 718
    Pig meat
76 663
78 008
85 066

(a) Includes estimates of animals slaughtered on farms and by country butchers and other small slaughtering establishments.
(b) Dressed carcass weight, excludes offal.
Source: Livestock products, Australia (cat. no. 7215.0).


At 30 June 2007, the sheep and lamb flock in South Australia was estimated to be 11.6 million. Over 46% of sheep and lambs in South Australia were found in the South East (3.3 million) and Northern (2.1 million) Statistical Divisions.

In the past, pigs were kept in South Australia as a sideline on mixed farms or in conjunction with dairy cattle. Now, most pig production comes from establishments specialising in pigs. At 30 June 2007, the pig herd in South Australia was estimated to be 360,000, with 43% found in the Murray Lands Statistical Division (154,000) and 23% in the Outer Adelaide Statistical Division (83,000).

LIVESTOCK NUMBERS, South Australia, at 30 June

Dairy
cattle
'000
Meat
cattle
'000
Sheep &
lambs
'000
Pigs
'000

1964
252
417
16 403
153
1971
220
946
19 166
389
1981
152
904
17 056
394
1991
132
831
17 153
400
2001
192
1 050
12 585
438
2003
191
1 209
13 060
381
2004
188
1 164
12 918
378
2005
160
1 223
12 476
336
2006(a)
168
1 161
11 331
403
2007(a)
176
1 067
11 641
360

(a) The ABS has moved to a new frame from the 2005-06 Agricultural Census onwards. This means that data are not directly comparable with historical time series. For more information, please see the technical notes at the back of the 2005-06 edition of the source publication.
Sources: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (cat. no. 7121.0) and Historical Selected Agricultural Commodities, by State, 1861 to Present (cat. no. 7124.0).



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