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Australian Pig Numbers, Pork Output Fall Again in 2009

The latest ABARES statistics show further reductions in both pig numbers and pork production in Australian in 2009. The report has been summarised by Jackie Linden for ThePigSite.

10 December 2010

4 minute read

The latest issue of Australian Commodity Statistics for 2010 from Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) presents data for the pig industry up to 2009.

Total pig numbers in 2009 stood at just over 2.3 million, a fall of 4.6 per cent compared to the previous year. There were 278,000 breeding sows and gilts, 11.2 per cent fewer than in 2008.

There was a 6.4 per cent reduction in the number of pigs slaughtered during 2009 to 4.530 million. Average carcass weight remained unchanged from the previous year at 71.9kg. Total pig meat production for 2009 was 325,600 tonnes, which is also 6.4 per cent below the 2008 figure.

Imports of pig meat were up 16.0 per cent in 2009, while exports fell by almost 18 per cent, continuing the widening of the country's trade gap in pig meat.

The one bright point is that total consumption of pig meat in Australia in 2009 was 552,500 tonnes, an increase of 4.8 per cent from 2008. Per-capita consumption fell increased slightly to 24.9kg.

In terms of animal numbers, New South Wales followed by Queensland are the leading pig-producing states in Australia.

Australian supply and use of pig meat
	Unit	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Pig numbers a	’000	2,748	2,940	2,658	2,548	2,708	2,733	2,605	2,412	2,302
Breeding sows and gilts a	’000	332	356	352	318	348	352	340	313	278
Slaughterings b	’000	5,172	5,603	5,723	5,440	5,372	5,320	5,350	4,842	4,530
Average slaughter weight c	kg	73.2	72.7	73.2	72.6	72.7	71.9	72.2	71.9	71.9
Production c	'000 t	378.5	407.3	418.9	394.8	390.3	382.7	386.1	348.0	325.6
Imports cd	'000 t	65.2	92.6	112.0	127.1	162.3	169.0	218.4	234.5	272.3
Exports cd	'000 t	77.3	91.5	88.3	70.4	64.7	67.2	60.8	55.3	45.4
Total consumption ce	'000 t	366.5	408.4	442.6	451.6	488.0	484.4	543.7	527.2	552.5
Consumption per person cd	kg	18.8	20.7	22.1	22.3	23.8	23.4	25.9	24.7	24.9
a Livestock holdings on establishments with an estimated value of agricultural operations (EVAO) of $5,000. b Excludes on-farm slaigher from 2007 c Carcass weight d Includes preserved pig meat e Apparent consumption Sources: ABS, Apparent Consumption of Foodstuffs, cat. no. 4306.0, Canberra; ABS, International Trade, Australia, cat. no. 5465.0, Canberra; ABS, Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, Preliminary, cat. no. 7111.0, Canberra; ABS, Agriculture, Australia, cat. no. 7113.0, Canberra; ABS, Agricultural Commodities, Australia, cat. no. 7121.0, Canberra; ABARES.

Australian pig numbers, by state and territory ^a ('000)
	New South Wales	Victoria	Queens- land	Western Australia	South Australia	Tasmania	Northern Territory	Australia
2001	845	557	597	286	438	22	2	2,748
2002	833	673	643	361	410	18	3	2,940
2003	729	555	663	381	309	19	3	2,658
2004	624	547	691	291	378	14	3	2,548
2005	732	524	666	266	335	12	2	2,538
2006	655	668	691	296	403	17	2	2,733
2007	741	463	695	326	360	19	na	2,605
2008	770	394	610	262	363	12	0	2,412
2009	649	414	596	390	236	16	0	2,302
2010	603	516	557	224	389	11	0	2,301
a At 30 June. Livestock holdings on establishments with an estimated value of agricultural operations (EVAO) of $5,000 or more s ABARES estimate Sources: ABS, Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, Preliminary, cat. no. 7111.0, Canberra; ABS, Agriculture, Australia, cat. no. 7113.0, Canberra; ABS, Agricultural Commodities, Australia, cat. no. 7121.0, Canberra. ABARES.