Australian beef exports slumped to 19-year low in 2022 after wild weather and labour shortages

Meat and Livestock Australia say farmers were holding on to cattle to rebuild herds after successive natural disasters

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Australian beef and veal exports slumped to a 19-year low in 2022 as farmers rebuilt livestock numbers after years of wild weather, inflationary pressures and labour shortages.

Total beef exports reached just 854,592 tonnes in 2022; the lowest they have been since 2003, when mad cow disease caused a substantial reduction in exports to Asian markets.

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