July 14, 2011

Australia's beef and veal production up 5% in May

Australian beef and veal production increased 5% on-year in May, to 200,212 tonnes cwt, the largest volume since October 2008, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The rise in production was partly driven by a 1% increase in adult slaughter, which finished the month at 688,100 head.

Beef production is traditionally high in May, as producers look to offload stock, especially in the north of the country. However, this year saw the increased flow of cattle in the north partly offset by tighter supplies in the south, with the improved season enabling herd rebuilding to commence. 

The overall increase in beef and veal production was the result of both Queensland, at 103,000 tonnes cwt, and New South Wales, at 44,000 tonnes cwt, recording 10% and 8% on-year gains, respectively. With no holiday disruptions and a relatively drier month in the north, slaughter jumped 5% in both states.

The increase in overall production was also a result of the better season, with adult carcass weights averaging 286 kilogrammes/head for the month, up 4% year-on-year.

Both production and slaughter dropped in all other states, with production in Victoria (7%), South Australia (1%), Western Australia (4%), and Tasmania (4%) all falling on May last year.