April 14, 2008

Australian cattle exports up, beef production down

Australian live cattle exports in February were up 76 percent on-year, while beef and veal production that month was down 8 percent from February last year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Live cattle exports reached 65,108 head, the highest volume for that month since 2001.

The increase was mainly driven by the strong demand in Indonesia, with shipments there reaching 42,962 head, up 90 percent on the same period last year.

Exports to Indonesia for the first two months of 2008 grew 53 percent from the same period in 2007, at a record 81,363 head.

The increase in Australia's exports is because of a stable supply of suitable cattle, especially out of the dry areas of northern Queensland and the Northern Territory.

The second largest market for Australia's live cattle was Libya, absorbing 8,959 head in February.

Beef and veal production totalled 170,552 tonnes cwt in February.

Queensland's output for the month was 74,189 tonnes cwt, 16 percent less than February last year. This was due to the lack of heavy grain finished cattle.

Victoria and NSW each experienced a 1 percent decline in output at 39,638 tonnes cwt and 33,372 tonnes cwt, respectively, as processor demand and cattle supplies remained stable in the south.

Beef production was up in Western Australia as cattle turnoff increased due to severe water shortages. Output was 10,856 tonnes cwt, up 12 percent on February 2007.