Sheepmeat exports
In 2022, WA exported a total of 76.2m kg (ceq) of sheepmeat, a 7% increase YOY. This was driven by an increase in both mutton and lamb exports.
Mutton exports increased from 30.4m kg (ceq) to 32.9m kg (ceq), while lamb exports increased from 41.0m kg (ceq) to 43.3m kg (ceq) and the highest on record.
The value of both lamb and mutton exports increased steadily over the last decade reaching a combined total of $627.7m in 2022, the highest on record, up 5% on the second highest value reached in 2019.
Between 2010 and 2022, the value of WA mutton exports increased 108%, from $94.7m to $197.2m with a high of $259.2m reached in 2019. Year on year mutton exports have decreased 7% from $213.0m.
The value of WA lamb exports has also followed a positive trajectory, increasing from $128.2m in 2010 to $430.4m in 2022, an increase of 236% and the highest on record. Year on year, there was a 19% increase in value from $360.8m in 2021.
Over the last decade the growth of the Chinese market for WA (and Australian) sheepmeat in both value and quantity terms has been tremendous. China has been WA’s largest market for sheepmeat since 2012. In 2022, China accounted for 30.5m kg (ceq) of sheepmeat, or 40% of the quantity of sheepmeat exported. This equates to a value of $199.5m or 32% of the total value of sheepmeat exports. Despite this there was a YOY decline in sheepmeat exports to China in the order of 13% by volume and 24% by value.
Our second largest market was the USA and Malaysia came in third.
