QUALITY DECLARATION - SUMMARY
INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
For information on the institutional environment of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), including the legislative obligations of the ABS, financing and governance arrangements, and mechanisms for scrutiny of ABS operations, please see ABS Institutional Environment.
RELEVANCE
Livestock Products, Australia (cat. no. 7215.0) presents statistics on a number of different collections quarterly.
The data relating to chicken slaughtering and meat production are compiled quarterly from a survey of commercial poultry establishments.
The statistics on wool receivals are based on a quarterly census of wool brokers and dealers. The data are collected on the basis of the state in which the wool has actually been received.
Data relating to exports of live sheep, live cattle, fresh, chilled and processed meat are obtained daily from the Australian Customs Service (ACS). Statistics are compiled for all Australian states and territories as well as for total Australia.
Other livestock slaughtering data is collected monthly from abattoirs and other major slaughtering establishments. More detailed livestock slaughter and red meat production data is published monthly in Livestock and Meat, Australia (cat. no. 7218.0.55.001).
A link to milk data from Dairy Australia is available as part of this publication.
TIMELINESS
Livestock Products, Australia (cat. no. 7215.0) is released quarterly, six weeks after the reference period, and contains information from the most recent quarter for slaughtering, meat produced, exports and wool.
ACCURACY
Most respondents to the poultry, wool and livestock surveys are able to report all the data requested directly from company records. In cases where not all information is available careful estimates are provided. For example, some small abattoirs do not record the weight of the individual animals. An estimate of the amount of meat produced is derived by multiplying the number of animals slaughtered by an average weight provided or by a predetermined average.
The statistics on chicken slaughtering exclude very small producers, however the level of coverage remains high. The Australian total excludes Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory data due to confidentiality.
Exports data are compiled using information provided by exporters and their agents to the Australian Customs Service (ACS). This data is obtained by the ABS and subjected to further quality checking procedures to ensure that the quality of aggregate data is of an acceptable standard.
COHERENCE
Most data are directly comparable over different collection cycles.
Prior to the September 2011 edition, more comprehensive data relating to livestock slaughter and red meat production were included in this product. From September 2011 onwards these data continue to be available on a monthly basis in Livestock and Meat, Australia (cat. no. 7218.0.55.001).
INTERPRETABILITY
The poultry, wool and livestock surveys provide a broad range of up-to-date data about the processing of livestock and poultry, production of meat, and wool receivals, through a suite of standard products or as data customised for individual requirements. Detailed explanatory notes are provided each quarter in Livestock Products, Australia (cat. no. 7215.0) to assist users in determining and specifying their data requirements and to understand the concepts underlying the data.
Further information on exports data can be obtained from the following publication which can be downloaded free of charge from the ABS web site: International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (cat. no. 5368.0).
The major series estimates in this publication are available in original, seasonally adjusted and trend series. To find out more information on seasonal adjustment and trend estimates please see Time series Analysis Frequently Asked Questions.
ACCESSIBILITY
Data is presented by state in most cases except for chicken statistics, where data for South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmanian are collected, but not released for publication to ensure confidentiality of the providers of the information.
If the information you require is not available as a standard product or service, then ABS Consultancy Services can help you with customised services to suit your needs. Inquiries should be made to the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 .
Quality Declaration 
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