Fast Facts
2016
Australia’s sheep industry
Australia is the world largest exporter of sheepmeat, and is the National sheep and flock numbers
as at June 2015: 70.9 million head
world’s second largest producer of lamb and mutton (FAO). The
off-farm meat value (domestic expenditure plus export value) of
the Australian sheepmeat industry was approximately $4.83 billion
in 2015-16 – up 2% on the 2014-15 period (MLA estimate).
Queensland
At the time of publication, figures included in this document were
the most up to date available but may be subject to revision.
2.2 million
WA
14.0 million
SA
11.2 million
Flock facts and figures:
NSW
26.7 million
• 39,512 agricultural businesses with sheep and lambs (ABS Agricultural
Commodities 2014-15).
Victoria
14.6 million
Tasmania
2.2 million
• There were 39.35 million breeding ewes one-year and older as at 30 June
2015 (ABS Agricultural Commodities 2014-15).
• Prime lamb producers are predominately located in the Riverina, the wheatsheep zone of NSW, the Victorian and NSW Murray region and the high
rainfall areas in south-west Victoria and eastern South Australia. Sheep are
primarily located in south-west WA, south western part of Victoria and the
southern part of NSW.
• The sheepmeat industry accounts for 32% of all farms with agricultural
activity (ABS Agricultural Commodities 2014-15).
Source: ABS (final estimates 2015)
Australian lamb production
516,366 tonnes cwt (2015-16)
NSW
23.7%
Victoria
43.2%
Tasmania
2.9%
People in the industry:
WA
11.2%
• Around 200,000 people are employed in the red meat industry, including onfarm production, processing and retail (MISP 2020).
How much is produced?
Queensland
1.4%
SA
17.6%
Source: ABS
Australian mutton production
• In 2015-16, Australia produced 516,366 tonnes cwt of lamb and 196,040
tonnes cwt of mutton (ABS).
What is the value of production
196,040 tonnes cwt (2015-16)
NSW
21.6%
Victoria
39.3%
Tasmania
2.1%
• The gross value of Australian lamb and mutton production in 2015-16 is
estimated at $3.3 billion (ABARES Agricultural Commodities June 2016).
• Lamb and mutton production (including live exports) contributed 6%
of the total farm value of $57.8 billion in 2015-16 (ABARES Agricultural
Commodities June 2016).
WA
17.0%
Queensland
4.4%
SA
15.6%
Source: ABS
Australian lamb exports
241,913 tonnes swt (2015-16)
Domestic value and consumption:
• Domestic expenditure was approximately $2.2 billion on lamb and $110
million on mutton in 2015-16 (MLA estimate).
• Australians ate around 9.5kg of lamb and 0.7kg of mutton per person in
2015-16 (MLA Estimate) – among the highest sheepmeat consumption in the
world.
• Around 81.9% of Australian households purchased lamb in 2015-16 (AC
Nielsen Homescan).
1
Middle East
27.9%
PNG
6.8%
EU
4.1%
Greater
China
16.5%
SE Asia
5.5%
Canada
3.0%
other
10.5%
Japan
3.4%
US
22.2%
Source: DA
Fast Facts
2016
Australia’s sheep industry
Australian mutton exports
Export value and volume:
147,889 tonnes swt (2015-16)
• In 2015-16, Australia exported 56% of total Australian lamb production and
91% of total Australian mutton production (DA, ABS).
Middle East
32.8%
• The value of total lamb exports in 2015-16 was $1.78 billion and the value of
mutton exports was $700 million (ABS/GTA).
SE Asia
17.5%
• Australian live sheep exports were valued at $228 million in 2015-16 (ABS).
USA
9.3%
Australia’s place in the world:
EU
3.4%
• Australia produced approximately 8% of the world’s lamb and mutton supply
in 2013 (FAO).
Greater
China
20.4%
Japan
other
3.5%
8.9%
Africa
Russia
3.3%
1.0%
• Australia is the largest exporter of sheepmeat in the world (FAO 2013).
Source: DA
• Australia is the world’s third largest live sheep exporter (FAO 2013).
Australian live sheep exports
Top ten world lamb and mutton
exporters
1,859,459 head (2015-16)
Top ten lamb and mutton
producing countries
Kuwait
37.2%
2250
Oman
4.5%
2000
other
4.8%
Israel
5.3%
1750
‘000 tonnes cwt
1500
Bahrain
6.2%
Qatar
25.3%
1250
Jordan
8.4%
1000
UAE
8.2%
Source: ABS
750
500
250
Market Information
Meat & Livestock Australia
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* calculations include intra EU trade
Source: FAO latest available 2013 data
www.mla.com.au/prices-markets
Source: FAO latest available 2013 data
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Published by Meat & Livestock Australia Limited
ABN 39 081 678 364
September 2016
© Meat & Livestock Australia Limited 2016
ISSN 1837-4689