Australia’s total livestock exports increased 18 percent in 2023, year on year, to 1,324,141 head – valued at $1.03 billion.

The Port of Darwin.

Cattle volumes were up 6 percent and sheep volumes were up 30 percent compared to 2022.

The figures are contained in the first Australian livestock export “State of the Industry” report released today.

The report, developed by livestock export levy-funded industry research body LiveCorp and to be updated annually, provides an update on the number of sheep, cattle and goats exported, their destinations, delivery rates and average voyage lengths.

It also outlines industry research and other activities in areas such as animal welfare.

The annual mortality rates in 2023 were 0.05% for cattle (equal lowest on record) and 0.18% for sheep (81% lower than a decade ago).

Nearly 50% of cattle voyages had zero mortalities in 2023.

There were 264 consignments of cattle and 17 consignments of sheep exported by sea in 2023.

The average length of livestock export voyages in 2023 was 8.6 days to South East Asia, 18.9 days to North Asia, and 21.2 days to the Middle East.

Data collected daily on livestock export ships shows that cattle and sheep quickly adjust to the shipboard environment, largely becoming ‘settled/content’ after the first day of the voyage.

More than 40% of the 40,594 livestock exported by air in 2023, departed from Sydney airport.

LiveCorp Chief Executive Officer Wayne Collier said research into community sentiment about livestock exports has demonstrated that people want to know more about how the industry works.

“Since we started doing surveys in 2019, there’s been strong recognition of the industry’s contribution to regional communities in Australia and to food security overseas,” Mr Collier said.

“However, there have also been questions about what happens on ships and in destination markets, especially when it comes to animal welfare.”

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, as the regulator, already collects and publishes a lot of information about the industry’s performance.

Mr Collier says the State of the Industry brings together both regulatory and industry data in a simple, easy to read format.

“We’ve collated and analysed the data in different ways to help answer some common questions, like how many consignments of cattle and sheep leave Australia each year, and how long they spend traveling to different regions.

“The report also provides an opportunity to talk about the industry’s research projects and other activities.

“In this first edition, that includes economic analysis conducted on the contribution of livestock export to the dairy, sheep and northern cattle sectors, a virtual reality tool developed to help with training in abattoirs overseas, and support for Vietnam’s development and introduction of domestic animal welfare standards.

“Early each year, we’ll report on the State of the Industry in the previous calendar year, drawing on fresh insights from the data being collected on ships and by the regulator, to provide the Australian community with a single source of truth on how the industry is responding to areas that matter most to them.”

To view the full report click here

Source: LiveCorp