Foreword

The Australian red meat industry serves both domestic and an ever increasing export demand. Although total production and employment in the industry are relatively small, it is still a significant contributor to the economies of specific Australian regions, including south-western Western Australia for sheep and central Queensland for cattle.

ABARE was commissioned by the Agricultural Productivity Division of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to assess trends in and contribution of the red meat industry to the Australian economy and analyse the key factors affecting the industry’s competitiveness.

This report contains an analysis of the trends in red meat production in Australia and examines the economic contribution of the industry to the total value of agricultural production and exports. The report also analyses the economic importance of the industry to selected regional economies and presents an overview of the factors affecting the red meat industry. These include drought, domestic and foreign demand, exchange rate fluctuations and barriers to trade.

Phillip Glyde
Executive Director
June 2009