Don’t miss this opportunity to see how your levies are invested, hear the latest marketing insights and explore new technologies at this year’s MLA Updates. MLA Updates is a day of presentations and demonstrations to showcase our investments in research, development and marketing. The event will be held on Thursday 10 October 2024 at the Claremont Showgrounds, Perth WA.

Did you know only 20% of beef and lamb carcases deliver 80% of their overall value? That’s expected to change over the next few years, as a range of MLA partners are playing a role in boosting the profitability of the Australian red meat industry and driving full carcase utilisation.

The release of the September cattle and sheep projections updates show record exports of beef and sheepmeat for the upcoming calendar year. While many factors have led to these high numbers, Australia’s strong market access position has improved diversification and competitiveness in the global market.

The national cattle herd has reached and passed a cyclical peak after operating at maturity for the past 12 months, while the sheep flock will begin to destock slightly following its peak in 2024, as seasonal conditions normalise closer to seasonal averages and the very large breeding ewe herd begins to turn-off at slightly higher numbers.

Australia’s beef exports reached unprecedented levels in July, setting a new monthly record. This surge highlights the dynamic nature of global meat markets and Australia’s significant role within them.

Among the saleyard indicators that the National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) publishes, the Processor Cow Indicator has been the strongest performer over the past year, rising by 25% compared to an average of 17%.

Since 2004 the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program has been crucial in ensuring Australia’s $74.5 billion red meat industry continues to thrive. LPA was created to provide the red meat industry with consistent on-farm standards and practices to manage potential food safety risks and assure global customers about the integrity of Australian red meat. Due to LPA's critical role for market access, it is essential that it is updated to keep pace with global demands. To achieve this, several changes will be made to the LPA rules effective 1 September, 2024.

A group of Lambassadors and Aussie Beef Mates came together in Dubai in June for a unique workshop to collaborate and hone their Australian red meat knowledge and butchery skills.

Australia’s market share in Japan and Korea is continuing to lift as the United States emerges as the number one export destination for beef in Q1 2024.

The past financial year has seen a huge burst in export volumes, with Australian export numbers for red meat the highest on record at over 2 million tonnes. Lamb, mutton and goatmeat all had record high volumes, while beef exports matched the levels seen during 2019–20.