An unlively live trade
The Snapshot
- Total live cattle export volumes lifted 37% in October.
- Live cattle trade volumes to Indonesia in October were the highest seen in 2022 and sit just 13% under the five-year average level for October.
- October saw 51,790 sheep exported, up significantly from the meagre 1,236 head seen shipped in September.
- Sheep shipped to Kuwait were recorded at 27,647 head in October after four months of no trade. These levels represent volumes that are nearly 71% above the five-year average trend for October.
- Sheep exports are running 32% under the volumes recorded as at this time in 2021, meanwhile cattle export volumes are almost as bad, 30% below the levels seen last year.
The Detail
The Australian live sheep and live cattle trade both saw a lift in numbers exported over October, but compared to the volumes sent this time last season the increases seen in October were not enough to pull either trades out of the doldrums.
Total live cattle export volumes lifted 37% in October to hit a monthly record for 2022 of 65,076 head of cattle exported. Despite the rise it wasn’t enough to see the trend move into the normal range we could usually expect for this time in the season, as demonstrated by the grey shaded 70% range.
The largest export destination for Australian live cattle, Indonesia, was mostly responsible for the increase to total export volumes with 43,446 cattle reported shipped to Indonesia over October. Volumes to Indonesia in October were the highest seen in 2022 and sit just 13% under the five-year average level for October.
The live sheep trade kicked into gear after the northern hemisphere summer moratorium ceased. October saw 51,790 sheep exported up significantly from the meagre 1,236 head seen shipped in September. As was the case with live cattle, it was Australia’s top destination for live sheep, Kuwait, that was the catalyst for the strong rise seen in October. Total live sheep exports are pretty much sitting right on the five-year average for October.
Sheep shipped to Kuwait were recorded at 27,647 head in October after four months of no trade. These levels represent volumes that are nearly 71% above the five-year average trend for October and it is the first time since February 2022 that monthly flows of live sheep from Australia to Kuwait have been ahead of the average trend.
Analysis of the total live export flows from January to October 2022 shows that the sheep trade and the cattle trade are both underwhelming this season. Sheep exports are running 32% under the volumes recorded as at this time in 2021, meanwhile cattle export volumes are almost as bad, 30% below the levels seen last year.
January to October 2021 saw 500,318 head of sheep transported versus 339,090 so far this year. In 2021, the January to October period saw 675,852 head of cattle shipped versus just 472,899 so far this season.
