February 14, 2006

Australian beef production down in 2005
 

Australia's boom in beef production in recent years seems to have petered out with lower beef production and lower slaughter levels for the past year.

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicated that Australian beef production last year fell slightly from record volumes in 2004. Adult cattle slaughter levels for the year also fell, dropping 3 percent to 7.6 million head. 

Production for the year increased by 2 percent in Queensland - Australia's largest beef producing state -  due to heavier cattle being sold by lot feeders for the Asian markets. Beef production in New South Wales fell 2 percent while production levels in Victoria fell 10 percent to 354,000 tonnes.

The changes in the composition of cattle slaughtered during 2005 largely reflect the current rebuilding of the Australian cattle herd. Total female cattle slaughter fell almost 10 percent for the year, to 3.3 million head, while total male slaughter increased 2 percent, to 4.3 million head.

The average carcass weight of adult cattle slaughtered in 2005 was 270kg/head - 2 percent greater than the 2005 average, and 11 percent greater than 10 years ago. The heaviest carcass weights were in Queensland at 289kg/head, compared with 269kg/head in New South Wales and 248kg/head in Victoria.