Key products and markets
WA produces cattle for live export and processed boxed beef for domestic consumption and export.
Almost two thirds of the 657 000 head of cattle turned-off in WA in 2016/17 (Figure 6) was processed in local abattoirs with the remaining 257 000 head exported live to various markets around the world.
WA produces high quality beef products suitable for restaurant and food service and has one of the highest compliance rates (92.3% in 2014/15) according to Meat Standards Australia.
High quality products (both grain-fed and grass-finished) are available and there is a growing interest for a certified organic beef industry.
WA also produces beef suitable for other uses including manufacturing specifications.
The main boxed beef markets supplied by WA include Japan, the USA, Korea and Indoneasia (Figure 4).
Sixty five percent of the beef processed in WA is consumed domestically and the remaining portion is exported to more than 30 countries throughout the world.
WA’s diverse climate and production systems produce a range of beef products suitable for most market specifications. WA has a well-developed and sophisticated live export industry with a number of live export companies based in WA.
In previous years, WA has exported more than 350 000 live cattle per annum. WA is well placed to supply a diversity of cattle types and breeds to existing and emerging live cattle export markets.
The cattle exported meet a variety of specifications including light young bulls, steers and heifers (less than 350kg), slaughter-ready cattle (more than 450kg) and high quality breeding animals for beef and dairy.
Both Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle are exported live from WA.
The main export markets for WA live cattle in 2016/17 were Indonesia, Viet Nam, Israel, Turkey and Malaysia (Figure 5).
WA has a proud 100 year history in live exports and Australia is the most experienced and largest exporter of live animals in the world.
WA has an enviable clean animal health status and a world class individual animal identification and lifetime traceability (National Livestock Identification System) that allows the strictest biosecurity protocols to be achieved.