The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released its livestock slaughter and production figures for the fourth quarter of 2021 and the results reinforce the strength of both the Australian cattle and sheep industries.
Record quarterly cattle carcase weights were reported in the fourth quarter of 2021, with adult cattle weighing in at 315.6kg/head on average in the three months to December. These weights can be attributed to the abundance of feed, coupled with the high proportion of steers being slaughtered and current high prices which incentivise additional weight gain. For the full year of 2021, cattle carcase weights averaged 312.6kg/head.
Meanwhile, at a state level, Queensland led the way with cattle weights. In the December quarter of 2021, cattle in Queensland weighed in at an average of 326.5kg/head- an all-time record. WA had the lightest cattle in the fourth quarter of 2021, with cattle averaging 288kg/head in the state.
These heavier weights are allowing the Australian cattle industry to produce more from less and is resulting in bigger meat cuts. However, it remains to be seen if these record carcase weights will continue through to the end of 2022, if the current La Niña weather pattern ends as predicted in May 2022.
The female slaughter rate (FSR) measures the proportion of adult cattle being processed that are females. A FSR below 47% indicates the herd is in a technical rebuild phase.
In the December quarter of 2021, the national FSR was 43.4% – indicating that the national herd is well and truly in a rebuild phase. The FSR for the whole year was 45.2% – higher than the December quarter, but still below the 47% needed to confirm rebuilding status. Victoria, WA and Tasmania still have FSRs above 50%.
