Australian chicken meat production is projected to increase over the short-to-medium term and reach 1.32 million metric tons in 2019-20, up from 1.08 million metric tons in 2013-14.
The forecast was made by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), which also says that the ongoing increase will be due to growing home demand for the meat. Chicken meat is already the most consumed of all meat in the country, and its margin of popularity continues to grow. This will be, in part, because at retail level the cost of broiler meat remains below that of other meats. The cost of other meats has risen strongly over the last two decades, making chicken meat increasingly cheaper.
For 2014-2015, production growth is expected to be in the region of 4 percent, while for 2015-2016 the increase in production is expected to be 3 percent. By 2019-2020, the Australian poultry industry will be responsible for 28 percent of total Australian meat production.
Australian chicken meat production grew consistently over the decade to 2013-2014, averaging an increase of 5 percent per annum to reach 1.08 million metric tons (carcass weight). Chicken meat now accounts for almost a quarter of meat production in Australia, up from 20 percent in the previous decade.
Australian exports of chicken meat, which currently account for approximately 4 percent of total production, are projected to remain relatively low, with most output continuing to be consumed locally.
