Cattle are raised in all states of Australia over an area extending across nearly half the continental landmass.

Australian cattle breeds are divided into two main groups: temperate breeds (Bos taurus), which are derived from British stock, and tropical breeds (Bos indicus), developed from strains of the Indian Zebu. Geography plays an important role in herd selection, with temperate breeds largely confined to the high rainfall districts of southern Australia; whereas tropical breeds are well suited to the extremes in temperature of the north.

There are basically two kinds of beef cattle production carried out in Australia. In the north (Queensland, the Northern Territory and upper regions of Western Australia), cattle are run extensively on large cattle stations, grazing on native pastures at very low stocking densities. The main products of this sector of the industry are manufacturing beef destined for the United States, lot-fed beef and live cattle exports.

In the south, cattle are grazed more intensively on smaller farms sown with introduced pastures and fodder crops. The industry here supplies smaller, younger animals chiefly for the Australian domestic market and higher quality stock for the Japanese market and other chilled beef markets around the world, including the United States.

While pasture-fed production dominates the Australian industry, the use of feedlots has developed dramatically since the mid 1980s. Feedlot production involves feeding cattle high energy feed for periods ranging from 60 to 300 days to achieve specific market requirements. Feedlots exist in both the north and the south of the continent, close to grain-growing areas. This sector provides high-quality marbled beef aimed primarily at Japanese consumers, with some shorter-fed beef also suitable for the domestic market. Australia now has a feedlot capacity of over 1 million head.

Australia's reputation as one of the largest exporters of meat and livestock in the world is even more impressive when you consider that Australia only has around 2.5 per cent of the total world cattle herd. The Australian cattle herd is currently estimated at 27 million head, compared to a world herd of over one billion.

Quality Assured

All cattle raised and processed in Australia are covered by the National Vendor Declaration (NVD) — meaning the meat packer knows the history of how the animal was raised.

The NVD is the food safety document that underpins the Livestock Quality Systems (LQS) program in Australia. The LQS program provides certification and verification systems that can be used to instill confidence in on-farm food safety practices.

LQS incorporates the Cattlecare quality assurance program that is based on HACCP and ISO 9002. Cattlecare is an independently audited LQS program for on-farm management practices including chemicals.

In addition, all Australian feedlots that export beef must operate by, and be independently audited to, the standards established in the Australian National Feedlot Accreditation System. These standards guarantee the welfare of animals, care of the environment and product integrity.

National Livestock Identification System

Australia has operated a cattle identification program since the 1960's. In the last 10 years, the program has progressively converted to a state-of-the-art, individual whole-of-life electronic tag that forms the basis for the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS)

Australian ranchers can now give a lifetime movement and management background of every head of cattle, creating a system that assures consistent, safe and wholesome products.

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