Technical Issues Affect NLRS Data Presentation
As of 19th October, several market reports for the week have not been uploaded to the National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) database due to technical glitches. This has affected the current display of yardings, indicator prices, and market reports.
Surge in Cattle and Sheep Slaughter
For the week ending 13th October, weekly cattle slaughter saw an 18% increase, reaching 130,933 head, the highest figure since May 2020. The rise was observed in all states except Victoria and Tasmania.
Queensland reported a particularly strong 25% increase from last year, amounting to 68,880 head, while New South Wales saw a 22% rise to 34,038 head.
In the same period, total sheep and lamb slaughter increased by 36,095 to 586,150 head. The surge was primarily due to an 8% rise in lamb slaughter, which reached 450,649 head. Notably, Victorian lamb slaughter set a new record at 244,265 head.
Live Export Figures Released
The Department of Agriculture has released updated live export numbers. In September, Australia exported 60,451 live cattle, marking an 11% increase from August and a 35% rise compared to September 2022.
Although exports to Indonesia showed a slight decrease, strong year-on-year growth was recorded for exports to China, Vietnam, Israel, and the Philippines.
Live sheep exports also increased, reaching 57,311 as the summer export ban period concluded. For the first nine months of 2023, Australia has exported 480,035 sheep, a 67% increase over the same period in 2022. Growth was observed in all major markets.
Annual State of the Industry Report
Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) released its annual State of the Industry report on Wednesday. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the red meat and livestock industry’s performance and economic contributions for the previous financial year.
Ongoing Sheep Producer Intentions Survey
MLA is currently conducting the October Sheep Producer Intentions Survey, which serves as a vital source of industry information on various topics. The data collected is intended to replace the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reporting of categorical sheep flock numbers, which ceased in January 2023.
For more in-depth information, the full State of the Industry report and the Sheep Producer Intentions Survey are available on the MLA website.
For further details on Australian live exports, the Livelink report on trends and analysis has been updated to include a new interactive dashboard for accessing historical data.
