Highest female slaughter in almost 50 years
Of the 9.28 million cattle processed in 2025, 4.93 million were females and 4.35 million were males, placing the national female slaughter rate (FSR) at 53% for the year. While the female share has been elevated since 2024, there is no sign of a heavy destock as this rate may have implied in the past. However, there are signs FSR is easing slowly – it peaked at 54.5% in the June quarter and eased to 52.3% in the December quarter.
Export demand for lean beef, particularly from the United States (US), has been a key driver. 2025 marked the year with the highest female slaughter since 1977. Male processing has not lifted to the same extent and hasn’t surpassed the 2015 total (4.56 million), reinforcing that the 2025 outcome was supported more by increased female slaughter.
Victoria processed more females than Queensland
State numbers also show a production dynamic playing out at national level. In the December quarter, Queensland recorded a 38% female slaughter rate, while NSW registered 63%. Victoria typically runs at a higher female share due to its heavier dairy component, but 2025 still stood out as the state reached an all-time high of 71% in the June quarter and eased to 67% in the December quarter.
Victoria processed more females than Queensland in the December quarter 2025. This is unusual given Queensland processed 80% more head than Victoria, and it has only occurred at a handful of points historically (including the last March quarter, and earlier in 2008 and 1996). In practical terms, it points to processing demand and cattle availability being out of step across regions, with southern plants drawing more cattle into their supply chains than normal.
Over the past two years, seasonal conditions in southern regions have, at times, reduced local cattle availability. This has prompted processors to source more cattle from the north and truck them south. That shift in procurement has influenced Queensland’s slaughter mix – contributing to the state’s lower FSR as a greater share of females were processed in southern plants. Victorian processors have a stronger focus on trimmings and lean cuts with established export channels. In 2025, the US accounted for 42% of Victoria’s exports, compared with 20% for Queensland.
The same pattern supports broader evidence of interstate movement, including sustained southern buying interest in northern cattle, as well as cattle moving north for finishing and then returning south for slaughter. Together, it underscores Queensland’s role as a consistent supply source that can support processing throughput beyond its borders when southern supply tightens, and how cattle flows can respond when demand is strong enough to justify freight.
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