1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/01/2002   
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Contents >> Agriculture >> Meat production and slaughterings

Tables 16.45 and 16.46 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 1999-2000 remained steady at around 2.0 million tonnes. Production of beef has reached record levels in recent years, with a weakening in the Australian dollar and a slower world supply leading to strong export demand and higher market prices.

Changing patterns of both consumer demand and sheep and lamb supply have seen production of lamb meat exceed that of mutton for the first time. In 1999-2000 lamb production increased by 11% to 347,000 tonnes, while mutton production increased by 5% to 333,000 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 1999-2000 pig meat production was 363,000 tonnes, over double its low point in 1976.


16.45 PRODUCTION OF MEAT(a)

Carcass weight

Dressed weight(b)(c)

Year

Beef

’000 t

Veal

’000 t

Mutton

’000 t

Lamb

’000 t

Pig meat

’000 t
Total red meat

’000 t

Chicken meat

’000 t
Total
poultry(d)

’000 t

1994-95
1,766
38
354
268
365
2,791
467
499
1995-96
1,711
34
310
265
347
2,667
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
593
646

(a) Excludes offal.
(b) Excludes Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
(c) Dressed weight of whole birds, pieces and giblets.
(d) Includes other fowls, turkeys, ducks and drakes.

Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0).


16.46 LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY SLAUGHTERED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

Year

Cattle

mill. head

Calves

mill. head

Sheep

mill. head

Lambs

mill. head

Pigs

mill. head
Chickens(a)(b)

mill. head
Other fowls(c) and turkeys(b)

mill. head
Ducks and
drakes(b)

mill. head

1994-95
7.2
1.0
17.5
15.3
5.1
330.5
8.7
2.3
1995-96
6.9
1.0
14.6
14.2
4.8
336.4
9.6
2.6
1996-97
7.3
1.1
14.4
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
391.8
9.5
4.1

(a) Comprises broilers, fryers and roasters.
(b) Excludes South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
(c) Comprises hens, roosters, etc.

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


Table 16.47 shows the gross value of livestock slaughtering over recent years. The value of slaughtering 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 four years, with 1999-2000 showing a 10% increase over 1998-99.


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

Year
Cattle and calves

$m
Sheep and lambs

$m
Pigs

$m
Poultry

$m
Total(b)

$m

1994-95
4,213.5
836.8
630.6
902.0
6,618.8
1995-96
3,575.9
1,035.7
597.8
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
5,050.9
1,053.9
791.7
1,031.0
7,946.9

(a) Includes adjustment for net exports of live animals.
(b) Includes value of other livestock.
(c) Excludes Tasmania and Northern Territory.

Source: Agriculture, Australia, 1999-2000 (7113.0).


The biggest customers for Australian beef in recent years have been Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea. In 1999-2000 Japan continued to be the main customer for Australian beef with 338,000 tonnes purchased, slightly up from the previous year's shipment. The United States was Australia's second biggest customer with 324,000 tonnes purchased, up 7% from the previous year. The Republic of Korea was the third largest importer of Australian beef, purchasing 75,000 tonnes.

Table 16.48 shows the volume of exports of fresh, chilled or frozen meat. Beef is the major meat export. Bone-out beef was the major commodity exported, although it decreased slightly to 819,000 tonnes in 1999-2000. Pork exports more than doubled to 39,200 tonnes, but pork is still one of the smaller export items.


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

Beef(b)(c)

Veal(b)

Mutton(b)

Lamb(b)

Pork

Year
Bone-in

’000 t
Bone-out

’000 t
Bone-in

’000 t
Bone-out

’000 t
Bone-in

’000 t
Bone-out

’000 t
Bone-in

’000 t
Bone-out

’000 t
Meat

’000 t

1994-95
59.8
717.4
2.0
6.9
103.4
65.4
48.6
4.6
5.5
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
114.8
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

(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 (source: Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation).
(c) Includes buffalo meat.

Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0).


Table 16.49 shows the number, gross weight, gross value and unit value of live sheep and cattle exports. While the number of live sheep exports fell marginally in 1999-2000, average unit value increased slightly to $37.12. The number of live cattle exported in 1999-2000 increased by 19% to 846,000. Increased unit value, combined with the increased numbers, raised the total export value of live cattle by 26% to $432.6m.

16.49 LIVE SHEEP AND CATTLE EXPORTS(a)

Live sheep exports

Live cattle exports

Year
No.

’000
Gross weight

’000 t
Gross value

$’000
Unit value(b)

$
No.

’000
Gross weight

’000 t
Gross value

$’000
Unit value(b)

$

1994-95
5,697.0
290.2
184,291
32.35
385.7
136.5
201,948
523.52
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