Slaughter data reveals pace of cattle rebuild

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics slaughter figures shows the pace of the national cattle herd rebuild. And the data has surprised industry experts.

Livestock slaughter figures for the October to January quarter have been released. Picture: Zoe Phillips

AUSTRALIA did not enter a cattle rebuild phase last year, new data can reveal.

The latest livestock slaughter report, published today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, put cattle slaughter for the last quarter at 1.6 million, a drop of 3.4 per cent, while 493,000 tonnes of beef was produced, a modest decline of 0.4 per cent.

A Thomas Elders Markets report put the annual average female slaughter ratio for 2020 at 52.3 per cent.

That’s a drop from the average of 56 per cent in 2019, but remains above the widely-accepted figure of 47 per cent indicative of a national rebuild.

Thomas Elders Markets analyst Matt Dalgleish said the sluggish nature of the national herd rebuild was “surprising”.

“I was anticipating we’d be just below 47 per cent … to be above it, I think we’re heading in the right direction but it’s still taking longer than what I had expected,” Mr Dalgleish said.

Mr Dalgleish said while an elevated level of dairy dispersals throughout Victoria in 2020 may have contributed to the higher than expected slaughter levels, it still didn’t explain the slow rate of the rebuild.

“Broadly, it seems maybe producers are taking advantage of high prices,” Mr Dalgleish said.

“They still may be looking at a rebuild, but perhaps looking selectively at what they’re keeping and what they are selling.”

The ABS data showed the value of Australian cattle and calves softened last quarter by 2.2 per cent to $3 billion.

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