Sheep
Australia's sheepmeat industry
Australia is one of the world's leading producers of lamb and mutton, the largest exporter of mutton and live sheep, and second largest exporter of lamb. The Australian public are among the biggest consumers of lamb in the world. The off-farm meat value of the Australian sheepmeat industry is $4.1 billion.
Fast facts
National flock
- The Australian national sheep flock is 68.1 million head (*).
- 28,966 properties with sheep and lambs (*).
- 42.3 million breeding ewes one-year and older (*).
- Major prime lamb production areas include the NSW Riverina and wheat-sheep zone, Murray region and high rainfall areas in south-west VIC and eastern SA.
- Major sheep producing areas include south-west WA, south-west VIC and southern NSW.
- The sheepmeat industry accounts for 24% of all farms with agricultural activity (*).
- The area operated by farms with lambs and sheep is around 134 million ha (30% of all agricultural area).
Production
- 391,340 tonnes of lamb and 123,246 tonnes of mutton were produced in 2010-11 (**).
- The gross value of Australian sheep, lamb and live sheep production is around $3.1 billion (ABARE 2010-11).
- Lambs and sheep contributed 6% of the total farm value of $49 billion in 2010-11.
- Victoria is Australia largest prime lamb producer (41%).
- Australia produces 8% of the world's lamb and mutton supply.
Consumption
- Domestic expenditure is estimated at $2.2 billion for lamb and $78 million for mutton (2010-11).
- Australians ate 9.1kg of lamb and 0.5kg of mutton per person in 2010-11.
- Around 50% of Australian fresh meat buyers purchase lamb (Roy Morgan 2010-11).
Exports
- In 2010-11, Australia exported 48% of all lamb and 90% of all mutton produced (**)(***).
- The value of total lamb exports in 2010-11 was $1.065 million and mutton exports $453 million (**).
- Australian live sheep exports were valued at $349 million in 2010-11 (**).
- The lamb and sheep industry (including live sheep) contributed around 5% to the value of total Australian farm exports in 2010-11.
- The Middle East is the biggest Australian market for lamb exports (23%) and mutton exports (48%) (***).
Read the sheepmeat industry fast facts
Prime lamb situation analysis
The prime lamb industry has been a strong performer among broadacre agricultural enterprises in recent years.
Read the full prime lamb situation analysis report
Sheep numbers by natural resource management region
View the sheep distribution map
All figures based on MLA/ABS/ABARE 2010-11 unless otherwise stated.
* - ABS Agricultural commodities - figures for 30 June 2010
** - latest available ABS data - figures for calendar year 2010
*** - latest available DAFF data - figures for calendar year 2010
Per capita consumption figures from MLA sheep industry projections 2011
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