March 5, 2008

Australia's January beef output falls 14 percent on-year

Beef production in Australia, a major global exporter, fell 4.4 percent in January to a seasonally-adjusted 169,961 tonnes from 177,830 tonnes in December and was down 14 percent on year, the government's Bureau of Statistics reported Wednesday (March 5, 2008).

The total number of cattle slaughtered, excluding calves, in January fell 5.2 percent on month to 630,300 beasts and was down 15 percent on year, it reported.

Many cattle ranching areas in Australia were in the grip of drought in January 2007, forcing producers to sell their beasts in the face of deteriorating pastures and declining availability of water.

Australia exports about two-thirds of its beef production, with about 90 percent destined for Japan, the U.S. and South Korea, and with the overall level of exports closely tied to production.