Livestock Products, Australia

This is not the latest release View the latest release

Quarterly statistics on livestock slaughtered and meat production

Reference period
March 2024
Released
16/05/2024

Key statistics

In seasonally adjusted terms for the March 2024 quarter:

  • Red meat production increased 3.0%
  • Chicken meat production decreased 0.5%

Livestock products (seasonally adjusted)

Cattle

  • Cattle slaughtered in the March 2024 quarter increased 3.4 % to 2.0 million.
  • Beef production in the March 2024 quarter increased 3.1 % to 606,009 tonnes.   

 

Sheep

  • Sheep slaughtered in the March 2024 quarter increased 10.8% to 2.6 million.
  • Mutton production in the March 2024 quarter increased 5.4% to 63,183 tonnes.

 

Lambs

  • Lambs slaughtered in the March 2024 quarter increased 5.3% to 7.1 million.
  • Lamb meat production in the March 2024 quarter increased 5.5% to 170,163 tonnes.

 

Pigs

  • Pigs slaughtered in the March 2024 quarter decreased 1.6% to 1.4 million.
  • Pig meat production in the March 2024 quarter decreased 1.7% to 115,755 tonnes.

 

Chickens

  • Chickens slaughtered in the March 2024 quarter decreased 0.5% to 181.7 million. 
  • Chicken meat production in the March 2024 quarter decreased 1.8% to 354,290 tonnes. 

Gross value of livestock (original)

  • The gross value of cattle and calves slaughtered increased 9.7% to $3.2 billion.
  • The gross value of sheep and lambs slaughtered increased 41.0% to $1.3 billion. 
  • The gross value of pigs slaughtered increased 5.8% to $464.5 million. 
  • The gross value of poultry slaughtered increased 1.5% to $1.0 billion. 

Changes in this and forthcoming issues

Suspension of trend estimates

Revisions

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.

Seasonal adjustment for leap years

The extra leap year day in 2024 is unlikely to impact seasonally adjusted statistics released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for March quarter 2024.  This is because the effect of an additional leap year day is analysed and accounted for as part of the seasonal adjustment process, which includes the impact of trading days. The impact of the extra leap year day will be evident in the original (non-seasonally adjusted) series. For more information please refer to this note

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
Back to top of the page