For the fifth consecutive month, lamb production in Australia has decreased. In December, the number of lambs slaughtered dropped by 100,000 from November’s figures, totalling 1.5m, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


An even more dramatic fall was recorded in the figures of sheep slaughter, with total meat production recorded at 26,600 tonnes. This represents a drop of 0.3 million sheep.


Furthermore, while pig meat production remained constant at 31,000 tonnes, figures on the slaughter of cattle also fell after their all-time high in November. During December, around 168,000 tonnes of beef was produced, representing 640,000 animals.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact