February 24, 2026

 

Australia sets new record for beef exports in 2025

 

 

Official ABS trade data released by the Australian Federal Government has confirmed that the country set blistering new records for beef exports, slaughter and livestock sale proceeds during the 2025 calendar year.

 

Key numbers included record beef production, reaching 2.87 million tonnes – up a colossal 300,000 tonnes or 12% on 2024, which was in fact the previous record – and record high cattle producer income from slaughter stock.

 

Production records were also set for the past three consecutive quarters, ending December 31, exceeding 700,000 tonnes per quarter for the first time in history.

 

The September quarter was the largest quarter ever for Australian beef production, reaching 759,000 tonnes, despite processing labour access challenges.

 

Total adult cattle slaughter last year reached 9.28 million head, a 12% increase on the previous year, and the highest figure seen since the 1978 year, a drought year at the end of the Beef Slump era.

 

Last year's slaughter exceeded (marginally, by 50,000 head) the 2015 year, when 9.26 million head were processed. The big distinction was that 2015 was a drought year, heavily influenced by female turnoff, while last year was a more conventional turnoff cycle.

 

The female slaughter ratio (FSR) showed a figure last calendar year of 53%. That was based on female slaughter head-count last year of 4.9 million head.

 

FSR is a measure of the proportion of female cattle in the national kill, that provides a useful barometer for herd reduction or contraction (47% FSR being the recognised tipping point).

 

Within last year, the FSR on a monthly basis remained above 50% for the entire year, again raising questions about the validity of the current FSR formula where 47% is regarded as the transition point.

 

In other key data to emerge from the ABS stats released, beef producers were paid a record $5.65 billion for processor-ready slaughter cattle in the December quarter, a within-quarter record, and for the full year, proceeds to grain and grassfed producers from slaughter stock topped a record $20.43 billion – up an enormous 25% from $15.3 billion in 2024.

 

Vigorous international demand, especially from key markets like the United States, Japan, China and South Korea underpinned the revenue number, with much of the rest of the world showing declining herd size and production.

 

Worth noting, the revenue numbers published above are for slaughter cattle in Australia – not cattle exported live for slaughter overseas, or store cattle sales.

 

Despite the sequence of new records set for production and income last year, the 2026 production year is so far even higher.

 

The first seven weeks of slaughter for 2026 have already accounted for 870,000 head, some 4% higher than the same period last year.

 

Worth noting among other species reported by ABS, chicken producers in Australia (unlike beef, mostly for domestic consumption, with relatively little sold into export markets) are now regularly receiving more than $1 billion in sale proceeds each quarter.

 

That aligns with the gradual encroachment white meat has made into the red meat space, based mostly on cheaper price and convenience. That trend started in 2024, and has continued since.

 

- Beef Central