Meat and livestock toolkit

Beef and dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, alpacas, deer, rabbits and bees are farmed in South Australia for:

  • meat
  • wool
  • hides
  • milk
  • honey.

In 2022–23, South Australia processed around 146,000 cattle and produced over 45,000 tonnes of beef, with a wholesale value of $389 million.

The chicken meat processing industry is the fastest growing livestock industry in South Australia and in 2022–23, 128 million birds were processed.

Image gallery

Download high and low resolution images from the image gallery. Please credit Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) when using the images.

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Infographic

This infographic provides a visual representation of key information on the meat and livestock sector including:

  • major export products
  • major export markets
  • figures and statistics on production amounts and values
  • sector credentials and attributes.

Meat and livestock infographic (PDF 898.8 KB)

Video

Transcript

[Text] The Department of Primary Industries and Regions acknowledges and respects Aboriginal people as the State's first people and nations.

We recognise Aboriginal people as traditional owners and occupants of South Australian land and waters. We pay our respects to Aboriginal cultures and to Elders, past, present and emerging.

[Music]

[Narrator] South Australia's pastoral and mixed farming areas are home to a thriving meat and livestock industry, recognised worldwide for our premium quality and sustainable production practices.

Early development of South Australia's meat and livestock industries commenced with cattle and sheep being driven overland from New South Wales in 1838.

Today our statewide industry is diverse and includes beef, sheep, pigs, chickens, kangaroos, goats, and bees

Livestock production areas span from the far north and west, through the mid-north, down to the richer grasslands of the southeast.

South Australia produces around 460,000 tonnes of meat and more than 50 million kilograms of wool every year and has built a reputation for sustainable and innovative production methods.

Sheep production is the largest of South Australia's meat and livestock industries, closely followed by beef cattle, and rapidly growing pig and chicken production.

South Australia is one of Australia's largest pig processors with around a quarter of the national total processed in our state. Chicken meat production and processing is the fastest growing livestock industry in South Australia.

South Australia has a thriving egg production industry with all commercial egg farmers accredited under the South Australian egg and food safety scheme, demonstrating compliance with the Food Standards Code.

Our state is the leader in the development of wild harvest meat industries in Australia, with kangaroo and goat exported for both Australian and overseas destinations.

South Australia boasts a strong integrated supply chain from commercial producers through to processors and exporters. Key export markets include the United States, China, Japan and South Korea.

From paddock to plate, our premium quality meat is being enjoyed around the world. From trendy Manhattan restaurants to Cantonese laneways in Guangzhou, demand for South Australian meat continues to grow.

[Logo]

Government of South Australia

Department of Primary Industries and Regions

Scorecard report

Find detailed information on the food and wine sectors, see Industry scorecards.

Page last reviewed: 01 Sep 2017

 


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