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About your levy

Cattle, sheep and goat producers pay a transaction levy on the sale of their livestock. The levies are collected by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) - Levies and distributed to MLA, Animal Health Australia (AHA) and the National Residue Survey (NRS).

Processors, lot feeders and livestock exporters also pay levies. A portion of these levies are invested in MLA-managed R&D and marketing projects that deliver cross-sector benefits beyond the farm gate.

Grassfed cattle

Grassfed cattle

MLA works with the Cattle Council of Australia. The grassfed cattle levy is invested in projects designed to increase on-farm productivity, profitability and sustainability of grassfed cattle producers.

Grainfed cattle

Grainfed cattle

MLA works with the Australian Lot Feeders' Association to develop R&D and marketing strategies for the feedlot industry.

Sheep

Sheep

MLA works with Sheep Producers Australia to increase on-farm productivity, profitability and sustainability of sheep producers.

Goats

Goats

MLA works with the Goat Industry Council of Australia, seeking producer input on levy investment and increasing the on-farm productivity, profitability and sustainability of goat producers.

Supply chain

Supply chain

MLA works with supply chain partners on projects that deliver value to the red meat industry beyond the farm gate.

Investment breakdown

In 2024–25, MLA plans to invest $299.9* million in research, development and marketing activities across 16 program areas.

Pillar

*Total may not add up due to rounding.

Funding source

*Total may not add up due to rounding.

Livestock levies rate

The table below shows the split of livestock levies.

Commodity MLA (R&D) MLA (marketing) Animal Health Australia National Residue Survey Total Levies#

Grassfed cattle

$0.92

$3.66

$0.13

$0.29

$5.00

Grainfed cattle

$1.50

$3.08

$0.13

$0.29

$5.00

Bobby calves

$0.16

$0.48

-

$0.26

$0.90

Sheep*

$0.077

$0.087

$0.018

$0.018

$0.20

Lambs*

$0.37

$0.90

$0.15

$0.08

$1.50

Goats

$0.167

$0.105

$0.045

$0.06

$0.377

# per head, per transaction
*Where there is a defined sale price of $5.00 or more (no levies apply to sales of less than $5.00)

MLA cannot vary the levy schedule.

If you have any questions about how transaction levies work, or amount of levies paid, you should contact your local Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Levies office toll tree on:

Central Office (Canberra)  1800 020 619
NSW/ACT/QLD  1800 625 103
SA/NT/WA  1800 814 961
TAS/VIC  1800 683 839

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry does not hold information on how much levy a producer has paid.

Beef levy review 2009

The Beef Levy Review was conducted in 2009 to evaluate the effectiveness of the increased marketing component of the cattle transaction levy since 2006, and to determine the appropriate level of funding for beef marketing and trade development to ensure Australia's beef industry is competitively positioned.

The review resulted in cattle producers voting to maintain the cattle transaction levy at the rate of $5 per head at the 2009 MLA AGM, with 72.5% of votes cast in favour of the resolution.

Find out more about the Beef Levy Review 2009.