A BIG rise in slaughter rates has pushed Australian beef and veal production for the March quarter up by 15 per cent on the same quarter in 2013.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian beef and veal production for January to March 2014 was 15pc higher on last year, at 611,396 tonnes carcase weight.
Production in March alone totalled 219,175 tonnes cwt, up 18pc year-on-year and 15pc on the five-year average.
Underpinning the increase was a rise in slaughter levels, with the total Australian adult cattle kill up 18pc on March 2013, at 781,652 head, and the March quarter reaching 2.18 million head, up 16pc year-on-year.
Across all states, beef and veal production was higher for the 2014 opening quarter, with Queensland (283,198 tonnes cwt), NSW (135,189 tonnes cwt) and Victoria (117,932 tonnes cwt) up 15pc, 13pc and 22pc on the same period last year, respectively.
Production across SA (32,033 tonnes cwt), WA (26,250 tonnes cwt) and Tasmania (16,794 tonnes cwt) also increased, up 8pc, 1pc and 9pc over the same period, respectively.
Driven by persistent drought conditions throughout much of Queensland and northern NSW, the total female cattle kill for the three-month period reached 1.085 million head (accounting for 50pc of total cattle slaughter), up 25pc year-on-year and the highest quarterly volume since June 2003.
This was supported by a significant jump in Queensland (442,639 head) – up 35pc year-on-year and 48pc above the five-year average.
The March quarter saw total adult slaughter levels increase for most states, with Queensland (up 18pc), NSW (up 17pc) and Victoria (up 20pc) at 970,959 head, 476,195 head and 449,975 head, respectively, on the corresponding period in 2013.
