Australia’s top cattle and sheep regions by value

The country’s richest states and regions for cattle and sheep production have been revealed. See if your town made the top 20.

Queensland is Australia’s richest state for cattle production.

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the 2020-21 financial year show 13 of the top 20 most valuable regions for cattle production are in the sunshine state.

The Central Highlands local government area, which sits inland from Rockhampton with its main town being Emerald, has taken out the top spot in the 2020-21 ABS data, with the gross value of cattle and calves slaughtered sitting at $490.2 million and the total number of cattle (including beef and dairy) at 896,040.

The LGA of Isaac in Central Queensland is No.2 on the list with gross value of $442.2 million and 805,688 cattle.

The Moyne region of Victoria was the seventh most valuable for cattle production, at $289.8 million.

According to the data, nationally the beef herd increased 4 per cent to 22 million head and the value of cattle slaughtered was $13.4 billion.

Meat and Livestock Australia senior market analyst Ripley Atkinson said herd growth was most notable in the second largest cattle producing state of NSW, with its herd rising 15 per cent year-on-year to 4.1 million head.

“Queensland grew by a modest 2 per cent (to 10.6 million head) as conditions throughout the financial year weren’t as favourable as its southern counterpart,” he said.

Meanwhile, for sheep and lamb production, the agricultural census data shows 13 out of the top 20 most valuable regions are located in Victoria, with no regions from Queensland or Tasmania making the top spots.

The Southern Grampians region, taking in Hamilton in Victoria’s Western District, was a clear standout with the highest value of sheep and lambs slaughtered in 2020-21, at $315.9 million and a volume of 2.4 million head.

Victoria’s Moyne region was second in terms of value at $146.5 million – $169.4 million lower than the Southern Grampians – and at No.3 was the West Wimmera region with a value of $137.6 million.

The Hilltops region on the South West Slopes of NSW, was the first region in that state in the top 20, coming in at No.7 for value at $88.5 million. Hilltops region had the second highest volume of sheep and lambs at 1.69 million head.

The breed and type of sheep and lambs, as well as the type of country they are run on, plays a significant role in the value of sheep enterprises, with many areas on the list producing more sheep, but for lower value than other regions.

This is apparent in the Naracoorte Lucindale region, which is No.14 on the list in terms of value at $49.7 million, but No.2 on the list in terms of volume of sheep and lambs with 1.1 million.

Overall, the ABS data shows a turnaround in the sheep flock.

The national sheep flock was up 7 per cent from 63.5 million in 2019-20 to 68 million in 2020-21, for a value of sheep and lambs slaughtered of $4.3 billion.

Mr Atkinson said this growth was similar to the lift in the flock seen in ABS figures released in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

He said breeding ewe numbers rose 6 per cent to 37.5 million head.

“When coupled with seasonal improvements driving higher lambing percentages, this growth in ewe numbers meant lamb numbers grew by 11 per cent.”