Australia's red meat production hits record highs
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has reported significant increases in Australia's red meat production, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
For the June quarter, cattle slaughter rose by 17% to 2.1 million head, the highest since 2019, with the female slaughter rate (FSR) increasing to 53.1%, indicating a shift to a destocking phase.
Lamb slaughter reached a record 7.2 million head, surpassing 7 million for the first time. Combined sheep and lamb slaughter totalled 9.9 million head, marking the largest quarterly figure since Q1 1973.
Beef production increased by 14% from the previous quarter and 19% year-on-year, reaching 648,763 tonnes, the highest since Q2 2015. Lamb production also set a record at 177,147 tonnes, up 6% from Q1 2024 and 19% from the previous year.
These production increases reflect strong global demand and high sale yard prices. For the financial year, lamb and sheep slaughter volumes were the highest on record, with combined slaughter reaching 37.8 million head, a 20% increase from the previous year.
