Aussie Slaughter Slips Across Four Quarters

CANBERRA - May 6/02 - STAT -- Livestock slaughter activity continued to decline through the first quarter of 2002, judging from the latest slaughter data compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Production of all types of meat during the opening quarter of the 2002 calendar year maintained a downtrend in place since the second quarter of 2001, with total meat production dropping from 795,534 metric tons (MT) to 706,450 MT in the latest quarter.

However, the period ended on a strong note, with March meat output advancing 2,518 MT from November to 246,540 MT during the month -- the best performance since November.

Most of the decline is being recorded by the beef sector, with the total number of cattle slaughtered during each of the most recent four quarters, resulting in a steady drop in beef output.

ABS notes one of the bright spots is hog slaughter activity. In releasing the latest numbers, the statistical agency said, "In March 2002, the trend estimate for pigs slaughtered was 455,000 (compared to an actual of 488,500 animals). This was the eighteenth consecutive monthly increase, and the highest monthly figure on record."

                Australia -- Livestock Slaughter Summary
                          (head, metric tons)
                      Apr-Jun     Jul-Sep     Oct-Dec     Jan-Mar         Mar
Slaughter (head)         2001        2001        2001        2002        2002
Cattle              1,992,000   1,949,200   1,848,000   1,681,000     615,200
Calves                226,800     459,700     194,600     117,700      42,700
Sheep               3,826,000   3,457,500   3,899,300   3,855,100   1,197,600
Lamb                4,620,700   4,070,200   4,544,200   4,264,100   1,352,700
Pig                 1,317,300   1,311,100   1,304,500   1,307,500     448,500
Total Slaughter    11,982,800  11,247,700  11,790,600  11,225,400   3,656,700
Meat Production (metric tons)
Beef                  522,481     514,260     486,618     441,772     161,696
Veal                    7,755      11,658       6,556       5,978       1,966
Mutton                 77,114      71,919      82,848      78,234      23,742
Lamb                   90,869      79,899      96,022      86,092      27,569
Pork                   97,315      99,092      95,392      94,374      32,567
Total Meat            795,534     776,828     767,436     706,450     247,540
BASED on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics