Last year was the largest year for Australian red meat exports in history, with records set for beef, lamb, mutton and goatmeat.

For the 12 months ended 31 December, Australia exported 2.24 million tonnes of red meat to 104 countries, representing the largest volume ever exported. High volumes were exported across all red meat categories:

• Lamb exports reached 359,229 tonnes shipped weight.
• Mutton exports reached 255,098 tonnes
• Beef exports reached 1.34 million tonnes
• Goatmeat exports reached 51,489 tonnes.

Meat & Livestock Australia global supply analyst Tim Jackson said the latest data from the Department of Agriculture highlighted Australia’s strong reputation as a reliable supplier of high-quality red meat, with overseas demand remaining strong as domestic supply rose.

“In 2024, the cattle herd and sheep flock both reached maturity, and slaughter lifted substantially,” Mr Jackson said.

“At the same time, the global supply landscape was favourable for Australia, with beef exports from the United States easing as the American cattle herd reached a 72-year low following years of drought.

“Global economic pressures continue to affect consumer confidence. However, high levels of trust and an industry-wide dedication to quality has driven demand for Australian red meat internationally.”

Australia’s market access position was also important in driving exports. About 87 percent of exports went to countries with which Australia has a free trade agreement, including 95pc of our beef exports.

The United States was the largest market for beef, lamb and goatmeat, while China was the largest market for mutton in 2024.

Here’s a quick summary, by category:

Lamb:

Australian exports of lamb rose to 359,299t last year, 10pc higher than the previous record set in 2023.

The US was the largest market for lamb at 85,133t, followed by China at 53,478t and the United Arab Emirates at 27,268t.

Strong growth was also seen in exports to the United Kingdom, rising 44pc in the first year of the full implementation of the Australian-United Kingdom free trade agreement to 13,668t.

Mutton:

Mutton exports last year rose to 255,098t, which is 22pc higher than the previous record set in 2023.

China remained the largest market for Australian mutton, taking 95,622t. Malaysia was the second largest market, with exports at 26,953t, followed by the United States with 19,077t.

Overall, sheepmeat exports (lamb + mutton) rose 15pc from 2023 to 614,396t, which is the highest sheepmeat export figure from any single country on record.

Beef:

Beef exports reached 1.34 mt, 22pc higher than 2023 exports and 4pc higher than the previous record of 1.29 mt set in 2014.

The strongest growth was seen in the US market, where exports lifted 60pc to 394,716t, and Southeast Asia, where exports lifted 33pc to 177,684t.

Exports of Australian grainfed beef also broke records with 375,195t of grainfed beef exported last year. Record high capacity and numbers of cattle on feed translated into strong turnoff figures over 2024, leading to strong supply and high exports.

Goatmeat:

Exports of goatmeat totalled 51,489t, which is the highest figure on record.

The US was the largest market for Australian goatmeat, with exports totalling 27,599t, followed by South Korea at 8639t and China at 5161t.

Australian goatmeat exports were 44pc higher in 2024 than the previous record, set in 2014.

Source: MLA