inter and early spring offered no reprieve from widespread dry conditions for the majority of Australian cattle producers, who continue to contend with scarce water availability, rising feed costs and growing financial pressure.
High processor throughput, in particular the elevated female slaughter, reflects ongoing herd liquidation and impacts forecasted beef production. On a 12-month rolling basis, the female percentage of adult slaughter remains at 54%, keeping the national herd firmly locked in a contraction phase. The excess turnoff of breeding stock and poor rainfall outlook has resulted in adult cattle slaughter for 2019 being revised higher to 8.4 million head, up 7% on last year.
Beef production has also been adjusted higher for the year to reflect the elevated turnoff and is forecast at 2.4 million tonnes carcase weight (cwt), up 4%. A downward trend in adult carcase weights has offset some of the impacts of increased slaughter, despite the number of cattle on feed reaching a new record in the June 2019 quarter, at just below 1.15 million head.
