OFFICIAL ABS trade data released by the Federal Government this afternoon has confirmed what many already suspected: Australia set blistering new records for beef exports, slaughter and livestock sale proceeds during the 2025 calendar year.

Key numbers included record beef production, reaching 2.87 million tonnes – up a colossal 300,000t or 12 percent on 2024, which was in fact the previous record – and record high cattle producer income from slaughter stock.

Production records were also set for the past three consecutive quarters, ending 31 December, exceeding 700,000t per quarter for the first time in history.

The September quarter was the largest quarter ever for Australian beef production, reaching 759,000t, despite processing labour access challenges.

Total adult cattle slaughter last year reached 9.28 million head, a 12pc increase on the previous year, and the highest figure seen since the 1978 year, a drought year at the end of the Beef Slump era.

Last year’s slaughter exceeded (marginally, by 50,000 head) the 2015 year, when 9.26 million head were processed. The big distinction was that 2015 was a drought year, heavily influenced by female turnoff, while last year was a more conventional turnoff cycle.

Female slaughter ratio

The female slaughter ratio (FSR) showed a figure last calendar year of 53pc. That was based on female slaughter head-count last year of 4.9 million head.

FSR is a measure of the proportion of female cattle in the national kill, that provides a useful barometer for herd reduction or contraction (47pc FSR being the recognised tipping point).

Within last year, the FSR on a monthly basis remained above 50pc for the entire year, again raising questions about the validity of the current FSR formula where 47pc is regarded as the transition point.

Beef Central will circle back to examine this topic in detail next week.

Producer earnings

In other key data to emerge from the ABS stats released today, beef producers were paid a record $5.65 billion for processor-ready slaughter cattle in the December quarter, a within-quarter record, and for the full year, proceeds to grain and grassfed producers from slaughter stock topped a record $20.43 billion – up an enormous 25pc from $15.3b in 2024.

Vigorous international demand, especially from key markets like the US, Japan, China and South Korea underpinned the revenue number, with much of the rest of the world showing declining herd size and production.

Worth noting, the revenue numbers published above are for slaughter cattle in Australia – not cattle exported live for slaughter overseas, or store cattle sales.

Despite the sequence of new records set for production and income last year, the 2026 production year is so far even higher.

The first seven weeks of slaughter for 2026 have already accounted for 870,000 head, some 4pc higher than the same period last year.

Chicken momentum grows

Worth noting among other species reported by ABS, chicken producers in Australia (unlike beef, mostly for domestic consumption, with relatively little sold into export markets) are now regularly receiving more than $1 billion in sale proceeds each quarter.

That aligns with the gradual encroachment white meat has made into the red meat space, based mostly on cheaper price and convenience. That trend started in 2024, and has continued since.