Australian beef: financial performance of beef farms, 2013-14 to 2015-16

Overview

This report presents detailed financial performance estimates for beef producing farms for 2013-14 to 2015-16, with an emphasis on 2014-15 results. Beef producing farms are defined as those Australian broadacre farm businesses that had at least 100 head of beef cattle on hand at 30 June 2015.

The report draws on data from the ABARES annual Australian Agricultural and Grazing Industries Survey (AAGIS). This survey has been conducted by ABARES and its predecessors since 1977-78 and provides government and industry stakeholders with important data for analysing and monitoring changes in Australia's broadacre industries.

Meat & Livestock Australia commissioned and funded this report.

Key Issues
• Average total cash receipts for Australian beef farms increased by around 14 per cent in 2014-15 to $391 000 and by a similar percentage in the following year to around $442 000. • The increases in total cash receipts largely reflected higher receipts from cattle sales, which were largely a result of higher cattle prices. • In real terms, estimated average farm cash incomes for 2014-15 and 2015-16 are among the highest recorded since 2000-01. • Northern region beef farms recorded higher average farm incomes than farms in the Southern region in both 2014-15 and 2015-16. • Reflecting higher incomes, the average rate of return (excluding capital appreciation) for beef farms increased from -0.1 per cent in 2013-14 to 0.6 per cent in 2014-15 and is estimated to increase further in 2015-16 to around 1.9 per cent. • Average beef farm debt trended upwards, in real terms, between 2000-01 and 2014-15. In 2014-15 average total debt was around $460 000 a farm. Increases in average debt over the past 15 years have been largely the consequence of a rapid increase in average farm size. • However, increases in debt over time has largely been supported by an accompanying increase in the total capital value of beef farms. Consequently, average farm business equity ratios remained relatively steady over the period 2000-01 to 2015-16.