Australia leads the world in lamb exports

Australia is the world’s leading exporter of lamb in the world, according to the State of the Industry Report 2018.

“In 2017, our industry was the lead exporter of sheepmeat in the world despite representing only six per cent of the global sheep flock,” said Don Mackay, Independent Chair of the Red Meat Advisory Council.

“We were also the third largest exporter of beef in 2017 behind Brazil and India and the world’s leading exporter of goatmeat in 2016. We also exported 867,056 live cattle, 1.9 million live sheep and 12,245 goats. This represents around $13.3 billion in export earnings.”

Mackay said beyond exports red meat continues to be a key part of how Australians live their life with Australians one of the largest red meat consumers per person in the entire world.

“Our industry continues to be a major employer, employing 438,100 Australians directly and indirectly, supporting 82,500 businesses and generating $65 billion in turnover,” he said.

“Ninety per cent of these jobs are regionally and rurally based; and our combined workforce accounts for 4 per cent of total industry employment in this country. And Aussies still love red meat – what we don’t export, we eat. Australians are eating three times as much beef and five times the global average of sheepmeat.”

The annual State of the Industry Report 2018 for Australia’s red meat and livestock industry is being launched by Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources David Littleproud at Australian Parliament House today.

Sheridan Randall, 19^th September 2018