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The numbers of each of the principal categories of livestock in Australia are shown in table 16.35 at 10-yearly intervals from 1861 to 1991, and then yearly.
16.35 LIVESTOCK NUMBERS(a) |
|
 |
Cattle
’000
| Sheep and
lambs
’000 |
Pigs
’000
|
|
| 1861 | 3,958 | 20,135 | 351 |
| 1871 | 4,276 | 41,594 | 543 |
| 1881 | 7,527 | 62,184 | 816 |
| 1891 | 10,300 | 97,881 | 891 |
| 1901 | 8,640 | 70,603 | 950 |
| 1911 | 11,745 | 98,066 | 1,026 |
| 1921 | 13,500 | 81,796 | 674 |
| 1931 | 11,721 | 110,568 | 1,072 |
| 1941 | 13,256 | 122,694 | 1,797 |
| 1951 | 15,229 | 115,596 | 1,134 |
| 1961 | 17,332 | 152,579 | 1,615 |
| 1971 | 24,373 | 177,792 | 2,590 |
| 1981 | 25,168 | 134,407 | 2,430 |
| 1991 | (b)23,662 | 163,238 | 2,531 |
| 1992 | (b)23,880 | 148,203 | 2,570 |
| 1993 | (b)24,062 | 138,099 | 2,646 |
| 1994 | (b)25,758 | 132,569 | 2,775 |
| 1995 | (b)25,731 | 120,862 | 2,653 |
| 1996 | (b)26,377 | 121,116 | 2,526 |
| 1997 | (b)26,695 | 120,228 | 2,555 |
| 1998 | (b)26,851 | 117,491 | 2,768 |
| 1999 | (b)26,578 | 115,456 | 2,626 |
| 2000 | (b)27,588 | 118,552 | 2,511 |
|
(a) Prior to 1943, livestock numbers were recorded at different times of the year in different States. In 2000, the collection period was changed from 31 March to 30 June to better align with other ABS surveys.
(b) Excludes house cows. |
Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0). |
Cattle
Cattle farming is carried out in all States and Territories. While dairy cattle are restricted mainly to southern and coastal districts, beef cattle are concentrated in Queensland and New South Wales. Table 16.36 shows the number of cattle by age, sex and purpose.
Cattle numbers in Australia increased slowly during the 1960s and 1970s, despite seasonal changes and heavy slaughtering, to a peak of 33.4 million in 1976. Beef cattle production is often combined with cropping, dairying and sheep. In the northern half of Australia, cattle properties and herd sizes are very large, pastures are generally unimproved, fodder crops are rare and beef is usually the only product. The industry is more intensive in the south because of the more favourable environment, including improved pasture (see map 16.38).
Drought conditions in the early 1980s led to a decline in the beef herd until 1984. For the next five years the size of the herd remained relatively stable. Between 1989 and 1998, cattle numbers gradually increased despite unfavourable weather conditions continuing in many parts of Australia. After a slight decline in 1999, cattle numbers again increased in 2000 to 27.6 million.
Table 16.37 shows the number of cattle by State and Territory.
16.36 CATTLE(a), By Age, Sex and Purpose |
|
| | 1995
’000 | 1996
’000 | 1997
’000 | 1998
’000 | 1999
’000 | 2000
'000 |
|
| Milk cattle | | | | | | |
| - Cows (in milk and dry) | 1,821 | 1,884 | 1,977 | 2,060 | 2,155 | 2,171 |
| - Other milk cattle | 919 | 923 | 982 | 1,015 | 1,065 | 969 |
| - Total | 2,740 | 2,808 | 2,958 | 3,076 | 3,220 | 3,140 |
| Meat cattle | | | | | | |
| - Bulls used or intended for service | 555 | 553 | 551 | 547 | 528 | 518 |
| - Cows and heifers (1 year and over) | 11,213 | 11,667 | 11,879 | 11,783 | 11,621 | 12,282 |
| - Calves under 1 year | 5,806 | 5,768 | 6,029 | 6,026 | 5,740 | 5,872 |
| - Other cattle (1 year and over) | 5,418 | 5,581 | 5,278 | 5,420 | 5,469 | 5,774 |
| - Total | 22,991 | 23,569 | 23,736 | 23,776 | 23,358 | 24,448 |
| Total all cattle | 25,731 | 26,377 | 26,695 | 26,851 | 26,578 | 27,588 |
|
| (a) Excludes house cows. |
Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0). |
16.37 CATTLE(a), By State/Territory |
|
| NSW
’000 | Vic.
’000 | Qld
’000 | SA
’000 | WA
’000 | Tas.
’000 | NT
’000 | Aust.(b)
’000 |
|
| 1995 | 6,236 | 4,280 | 9,974 | 1,216 | 1,899 | 693 | 1,421 | 25,731 |
| 1996 | 6,390 | 4,396 | 10,214 | 1,219 | 1,924 | 718 | 1,503 | 26,377 |
| 1997 | 6,511 | 4,411 | 10,415 | 1,181 | 1,909 | 725 | 1,530 | 26,695 |
| 1998 | 6,351 | 4,142 | 10,867 | 1,214 | 1,973 | 728 | 1,567 | 26,851 |
| 1999 | 6,291 | 4,125 | 10,748 | 1,183 | 1,931 | 724 | 1,567 | 26,578 |
| 2000 | 5,970 | 4,264 | 11,808 | 1,184 | 2,165 | 617 | 1,571 | 27,588 |
|
(a) Excludes house cows.
(b) Includes the Australian Capital Territory. |
Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0). |
16.38 CATTLE FOR ALL PURPOSES, Excluding House Cows - 31 March 1997
(a) This map has been generated using small area data from the 1996-97 Agricultural Census. |
Source: AgStats (7117.0). |
Dairying
Dairying is a major Australian agricultural industry. The estimate of the gross value of dairy production at farm gate prices in 1999-2000 was $2.8b (table 16.39). This represented 9% of the gross value of agricultural production in Australia and placed dairy production third behind beef and wheat. Table 16.36 shows that the number of milk cattle in 2000, at 3.1 million, was 2% less than in 1999.
The entry of the United Kingdom, Australia's then largest market, into the European Union in 1973 forced the Australian dairy industry to become more internationally competitive and to develop new export trade links.
Dairy production
Most dairy production occurs in high rainfall coastal fringe areas where climate and natural resources allow production to be based on year-round pasture grazing. This encourages efficient, low cost milk production. With the exception of several inland river schemes, pasture growth generally depends on natural rainfall. Feedlot-based dairying is expanding although it remains uncommon in Australia. However, the use of supplementary feed, such as grains, has become more common throughout the industry in recent years.
While seasonal conditions continue to have some influence on yearly output, Australian milk production has risen steadily over recent years and in 1999-2000 was 10.8 billion litres (table 16.39), an increase of 7% over the previous year.
16.39 WHOLE MILK, Production, Use and Gross Value
|
| Whole milk intake by factories
|
| |
| Year | Market milk sales
by factories
mill. litres | Milk used in the manufacture
of dairy products
mill. litres | Total intake
mill. litres | Gross value
$m |
|
| 1994-95 | 1,893 | 6,313 | 8,206 | 2,419 |
| 1995-96 | 1,905 | 6,810 | 8,715 | 2,848 |
| 1996-97 | 1,920 | 7,116 | 9,036 | 2,809 |
| 1997-98 | 1,918 | 7,521 | 9,439 | 2,817 |
| 1998-99 | 1,930 | 8,248 | 10,178 | 2,900 |
| 1999-2000 | 1,934 | 8,913 | 10,847 | 2,845 |
|
| Source: Australian Dairy Corporation; Agriculture, Australia (7113.0). |
Domestic dairy market
Average annual per capita milk consumption by Australians has stabilised at around 100 litres since the mid-1980s. However, there have been substantial changes in the types of fresh milk consumed, with fat-reduced and modified milks taking an increasing share of overall market milk sales. In 1998-99, Australians consumed 10.7kg of cheese per person, the same as in 1997-98. Per capita milk consumption showed a slight decrease from 103.0 litres in 1997-98 to 102.4 litres in 1998-99 (see table 16.52).
Sheep
Sheep numbers reached a peak of 180 million in Australia in 1970. In general, numbers have fallen since then. Poor market prospects for wool after 1990 had a marked impact on the flock size with sheep numbers falling rapidly until 1995, after which there was a gradual decline until 1999. Improvements in wool prices and better returns for fat lambs saw an increase in confidence in the industry, with sheep and lamb numbers up 3% in 2000 to 118.6 million (tables 16.40 and 16.41).
Map 16.42 shows the distribution of sheep and lambs in Australia at 31 March 1997.
16.40 SHEEP AND LAMBS, By State |
|
| NSW
mill. | Vic.
mill. | Qld
mill. | SA
mill. | WA
mill. | Tas.
mill. | Aust.(a)
mill. |
|
| 1995 | 40.5 | 21.4 | 11.6 | 13.2 | 30.2 | 3.9 | 120.9 |
| 1996 | 41.1 | 22.0 | 10.7 | 13.6 | 29.8 | 3.9 | 121.1 |
| 1997 | 42.4 | 22.3 | 10.5 | 13.1 | 27.8 | 4.0 | 120.2 |
| 1998 | 40.8 | 21.1 | 11.0 | 13.1 | 27.5 | 3.9 | 117.5 |
| 1999 | 40.6 | 21.0 | 10.6 | 13.1 | 26.4 | 3.8 | 115.5 |
| 2000 | 43.4 | 22.7 | 9.2 | 13.8 | 26.1 | 3.3 | 118.6 |
|
| Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0). |
16.41 SHEEP AND LAMBS - 1995 to 2000 |
|
| 1995
mill. | 1996
mill. | 1997
mill. | 1998
mill. | 1999
mill. | 2000
mill. |
|
| Sheep (1 year and over) | | | | | | |
| - Breeding ewes | (a) | 57.2 | 57.4 | 55.7 | 55.6 | 54.8 |
| - Other sheep (b) | 94.0 | 34.5 | 32.4 | 31.8 | 30.4 | 33.1 |
| Lambs (under 1 year) | 26.8 | 29.4 | 30.5 | 30.0 | 29.5 | 30.7 |
| Total sheep and lambs | 120.9 | 121.1 | 120.2 | 117.5 | 115.5 | 118.6 |
|
(a) Not separately collected.
(b) Includes rams, wethers and non-breeding ewes. |
Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0). |
16.42 SHEEP AND LAMBS, Total Number - 31 March 1997
(a) This map has been generated using small area data from the 1996-97 Agricultural Census. |
Source: AgStats (7117.0). |
Pigs
Pig farming is a highly intensive industry. The majority of pigs are grown in specially designed sheds which provide a controlled environment conducive to the efficient production of large numbers of animals. The numbers of pigs decreased by 4% to 2.5 million in 1999-2000, while the number of establishments classified to pig farming fell slightly to 3,400. Recent adjustments in the Australian pig industry have seen many smaller producers leave the industry and existing producers increase their size of operations in an attempt to remain viable.
As table 16.43 shows, New South Wales is the largest producer of pigs, followed by Queensland and Victoria.
16.43 PIGS |
|
| NSW
’000 | Vic.
’000 | Qld
’000 | SA
’000 | WA
’000 | Tas.
’000 | Aust.(a)
’000 |
|
| 1995 | 791 | 439 | 644 | 423 | 316 | 38 | 2,653 |
| 1996 | 710 | 458 | 603 | 412 | 314 | 26 | 2,526 |
| 1997 | 729 | 485 | 600 | 417 | 297 | 24 | 2,555 |
| 1998 | 849 | 518 | 648 | 424 | 303 | 24 | 2,768 |
| 1999 | 778 | 521 | 621 | 406 | 277 | 22 | 2,626 |
| 2000 | 710 | 523 | 544 | 438 | 276 | 18 | 2,511 |
|
(a) Includes the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0). |
Poultry
Poultry farming is a highly intensive industry, with the majority of poultry raised in large sheds which provide the birds with a stable environment protected from the elements. The poultry farming industry consists of two streams, meat production and egg production, both being major users of feed grains. Although the industry has grown over recent years, there was a decline in 2000 with poultry numbers falling by 7% (table 16.44).
16.44 POULTRY
|
| Chickens(a)
| Other poultry(c)
| |
| |
| | |
| Chickens for egg production
’000 | Meat chickens (broilers)(b)
’000 | Total
chickens
’000 | Ducks
’000 | Turkeys
’000 | Other
poultry
’000 | Total
all poultry
’000 |
|
| 1995(d) | 11,148 | 54,445 | 65,593 | (e) | (e) | 2,088 | 67,682 |
| 1996 | 13,413 | 62,331 | 75,744 | 411 | 1,222 | 1,040 | 78,417 |
| 1997 | 14,059 | 67,373 | 81,432 | 390 | 1,211 | 909 | 83,942 |
| 1998 | 14,036 | 75,504 | 89,540 | 456 | 1,268 | 673 | 91,937 |
| 1999 | 13,912 | 77,863 | 91,775 | 370 | 1,331 | 448 | 93,924 |
| 2000 | 12,016 | 72,912 | 84,928 | 517 | 1,360 | 224 | 87,029 |
|
(a) Includes breeding stock.
(b) Excludes meat strain chickens in Tasmania.
(c) Excludes turkeys in South Australia.
(d) Excludes other poultry in South Australia.
(e) Not collected.
|
| Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0); ABS data available on request, Poultry and Game Birds Slaughtered Collection. |
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