Australians Spend A$5.6 Billion on Chicken Each Year

AUSTRALIA - Australian Chicken Meat Federation (ACMF) has launched an industry report to keep consumers informed.

14 November 2011

3 minute read

Oceania

A new report published by ACMF, entitled 'The Australian Chicken Meat Industry: An Industry in Profile' is to be launched at the Agriculture Roundtable Conference 2011 hosted by the Australian Farm Institute. The Report is the first of its kind, bringing together the most pertinent data in a single dossier.

Dr Andreas Dubs, Executive Director of the Australian Chicken Meat Federation, said: "The Report provides an up-to-date description of an industry that had its commercial beginnings in the early 1960s and has now grown to be the most important source of meat protein for Australians.

"The facts and figures contained in the report provide the historical backdrop and the outlook that will allow policy makers to give the industry a fair hearing. It is important that this broader context is readily available to all stakeholders to ensure that decisions are not taken in isolation. The Report also provides interesting information for the general public."

The Executive Director of the Australian Farm Institute, Mick Keogh agrees, stating that the foundation of all good policy is a solid information base and a good understanding of the way the sector works.

He said: "This report makes a valuable contribution to this process."

Unlike many other livestock industries, the chicken meat industry (including the processors) remains almost exclusively family-owned. The Report conservatively estimates that Australian consumers currently spend approximately A$5.6 billion per annum on chicken meat. Based on the most recent ABS statistics on meat production, the ACMF estimates consumption of chicken meat in 2010-2011 to have reached 43.9kg per person, easily outstripping beef consumption.

A lesser known fact is that the chicken meat industry is one of the largest customers of the Australian grains industry, purchasing over five per cent of all grains produced in Australia.

"With global food markets experiencing rapid change, and a heightened sense of importance surrounding foodsecurity, Australians should be reassured to know that the chicken meat industry is well placed to deal with associated environmental and economic challenges to keep chicken, an Australian staple, on the table," added Dr Dubs.