Tight global supply to hit beef, opens doors for other proteins

The Australian cattle market is winding up for the 2024 season and soon there will be a break to cattle sales and processing throughput as the industry goes into a brief Christmas hibernation. As slaughter and processing data becomes scarce over the next few weeks we will take the opportunity to look at some interesting developments that will likely impact red meat markets into the new year. In this first instalment of three, we take a look at the tightening global supply picture for beef in 2025 and what that could mean for the Australian red meat sector. Analysis of recent data on beef production and herd numbers from leading beef-exporting countries highlights several critical factors influencing this trend. In 2024, the global beef export market was dominated by five key players, Brazil, Australia, India, the United States and Argentina. Throughout 2024, the cattle herds in these top exporting countries experienced various changes, significantly impacting their production ...