Australia cattle on feed still recording high numbers
18/12/2019
Although this is down 2% (28,000) from the June quarter, the numbers mark the sixth consecutive quarter where cattle on feed have reached more than one million head.
According to MLA, the quarterly decline was largely due to the seasonal nature of Western Australia’s feedlot production, which recorded a decline of 26,000 head on feed. Feedlots also dropped for Victoria (12%) and South Australia (11%).
New South Wales and Queensland were said to help offset the decline, as they reported increased numbers on feed due to the prolonged drought conditions.
The report also found that Australian grainfed beef exports totalled 81,233 tonnes shipped weight over the September quarter, which was down 2% from the same quarter in 2018 but up 2% since the June 2019 quarter.
Exports to Japan and Korea had year-on-year declines, MLA said, while China export grew 45% from the same period the previous year.
MLA predicted that cattle on feed will stay within a historically high range for the rest of 2019 and into 2020, due to an expected continuation of conditions and sustained overseas demand.
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