Pig Numbers, Pork Output Fall in Australia in 2008
The latest ABARE statistics show a decline in the Australian pig industry. The report has been summarised by Jackie Linden for ThePigSite.
15 January 2010
4 minute read
In its latest issue of Australian Commodity Statistics for 2009, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) documents a decline in the domestic pig industry in terms of animal numbers, production and per-capita consumption of pig meat.
Total pig numbers in 2008 stood at 2.411 million, a fall of 7.4 per cent compared to the previous year. There were 340,000 sows and gilts, 3.4 per cent fewer than in 2007.
There was a 9.5 per cent reduction in the number of pigs slaughtered during 2008 to 4.842 million. This, combined with a 300-gramme reduction in average carcass weight from 2007, brought the cut in total pig meat production for 2008 to 348,000 tonnes, which is almost 10 per cent below the previous year.
Imports of pig meat were up 7.4 per cent in 2008, while exports fell by nine per cent, widening the country's trade gap in pig meat.
Total consumption of pig meat in Australia in 2008 was 527,200 tonnes, a reduction of three per cent from 2007. Per-capita consumption fell by 1.2kg to 24.7kg in 2008.
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 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Pig numbers a | ’000 | 2,511 | 2,748 | 2,940 | 2,658 | 2,548 | 2,708 | 2,733 | 2,605 | 2,411 |
| Breeding sows and gilts a | ’000 | 293 | 293 | 332 | 356 | 352 | 318 | 348 | 352 | 340 b |
| Slaughterings | ’000 | 5,014 | 5,172 | 5,603 | 5,723 | 5,440 | 5,372 | 5,320 | 5,350 | 4,842 |
| Average slaughter weight c | kg | 72.7 | 73.2 | 72.7 | 73.2 | 72.6 | 72.7 | 71.9 | 72.2 | 71.9 |
| Production c | '000 t | 364.4 | 378.5 | 407.3 | 418.9 | 394.8 | 390.3 | 382.7 | 386.1 | 348.0 |
| Imports cd | '000 t | 72.6 | 65.2 | 92.6 | 112.0 | 127.1 | 162.3 | 169.0 | 218.4 | 234.5 |
| Exports cd | '000 t | 55.9 | 77.3 | 91.5 | 88.3 | 70.4 | 64.7 | 67.2 | 60.8 | 55.3 |
| Total consumption ce | '000 t | 381.1 | 366.5 | 408.4 | 442.6 | 451.6 | 488.0 | 484.4 | 543.7 | 527.2 |
| Consumption per person cd | kg | 19.8 | 18.8 | 20.7 | 22.1 | 22.3 | 23.8 | 23.4 | 25.9 | 24.7 |
| a Livestock holdings on establishments with an estimated value of agricultural operations (EVAO) of $5 000. b Breeding sows only in 2008 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; ABARE. |
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| Australian pig numbers, by state and territory a ('000) |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales |
Victoria | Queens- land |
Western Australia |
South Australia |
Tasmania | Northern Territory |
Australia | |||
| 2000 | 778 | 521 | 621 | 277 | 406 | 22 | 2 | 2,511 | ||
| 2001 | 710 | 523 | 544 | 276 | 438 | 18 | 2 | 2,748 | ||
| 2002 | 845 | 557 | 597 | 286 | 438 | 22 | 2 | 2,940 | ||
| 2003 | 833 | 673 | 643 | 361 | 410 | 18 | 3 | 2,658 | ||
| 2004 | 729 | 555 | 663 | 381 | 309 | 19 | 3 | 2,548 | ||
| 2005 | 624 | 547 | 691 | 291 | 378 | 14 | 3 | 2,708 | ||
| 2006 | 781 | 559 | 711 | 284 | 358 | 13 | 2 | 2,733 | ||
| 2007 | 655 | 668 | 691 | 296 | 403 | 17 | 2 | 2,605 | ||
| 2008 | 741 | 463 | 695 | 326 | 360 | 19 | na | 2,411 | ||
| 2009 | 770 | 394 | 610 | 363 | 262 | 13 | na | 2,236 s | ||
| a At 31 March. From 2000, at 30 June. Livestock holdings on establishments with an estimated value of agricultural operations (EVAO) of $5 000 or more s ABARE estimate na Not available No data avialalbe for Australian Capital Territory 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. ABARE. |
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Further Reading
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- | You can view the full report by clicking here. |
January 2010
