Livestock Slaughtering Collection

NAME OF ORGANISATION
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

OVERVIEW
The statistics on slaughtering and meat production for human consumption are based on a monthly collection from abattoirs and other major slaughtering establishments and include estimates of animals slaughtered on farms and by country butchers and other small slaughtering establishments.

The data are collected on a State basis and then aggregated to derive Australian totals.

PURPOSE
Livestock slaughtering and meat produced are published in Livestock and Meat, Australia - Electronic Publication (ABS Cat No. 7218.0.55.00) each month and Livestock Products, Australia (ABS Cat. No. 7215.0) each quarter. Data are primarily used by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics, the Department of Primary Industries and Energy, Meat and Livestock Australia, and other research and industry organisations to monitor the meat production levels.

The data are also used as input to the calculation of the Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia and the Australian National Accounts.

SCOPE
Larger abattoirs and other slaughtering establishments which service both the domestic and export markets.

DATA DETAIL

Conceptual framework
The cattle data is based on livestock slaughtering and meat production, collected each month from abattoirs and other major slaughtering establishments. It also includes estimates of animals slaughtered on farms and by country butchers and other small slaughtering establishments.

The data only relate to slaughtering for human consumption and do not include animals condemned or those killed for boiling down.

Main outputs
1. The number ('000) of livestock slaughtering by State and Australia, and the Australia level Seasonally Adjusted and Trend Estimate series for the following categories:

• Bulls, Bullocks and Steers
• Cows and Heifers
• Total Cattle (excluding Calves)
• Calves
• Sheep
• Lambs
• Pigs

• Beef
• Veal
• Mutton
• Lamb
• Pigmeat
• Total Red Meat

Other concepts (summary)


GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory

Comments and/or Other Regions
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) does not have any abattoirs.
Due to the respondent numbers in the Northern Territory data is collected but not published at the State level.

COLLECTION FREQUENCY
Monthly

Frequency comments
Data is collected and published monthly

COLLECTION HISTORY
This collection was included in the first issue of Livestock Products, Australia (ABS Cat No. 7215.0) in March 1981. Prior to this there were separate publications issued for Dairy products, Meat and Wool. Readers may wish to refer to Dairying and Dairy Products, Australia 1979-80 (ABS Cat No. 7209.0), Meat Australia 1979-80 (ABS Cat No. 7206.0) and Wool, Australia 1979-80 (ABS Cat No. 7212.0) for more information.

The addition to the collection of the average prices paid for live animals slaughtered on own account, commenced in July 1994, primarily to provide price information for the Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia series.

February 1998: Agricultural Statistics Centre moved to the Hobart office.

DATA AVAILABILITY
Yes