The United States was the largest consumer of beef in the world in 2020 followed by China, the EU, Brazil and India.
Beef production is also important to the economies of Japan, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Paraguay, Mexico, Belarus and Nicaragua.
Uruguay had the most cattle per capita in the world in 2021 followed by New Zealand and Argentina. Uruguay had the most cattle per capita in the world in 2021 followed by New Zealand and Argentina. Four (4) countries in the world had more cattle than people in 2021: Uruguay, New Zealand, Argentina and Brazil.
Looking forward. Overall, the cattle herd in 2023 will grow to its highest level since 2014, reaching 28.8m head, an increase of 1.1m or 4.5% year-on-year.
According to Stats of 2021, India Had the Highest Cattle Population of 305.5 Million (USDA)
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USA), India is the country with the largest number of cows worldwide. This country precisely protects cattle for being "sacred".
China is the top country by number of slaughtered cattle and buffaloes for meat in the world. As of 2020, number of slaughtered cattle and buffaloes for meat in China was 46,650 thousand heads that accounts for 22.56% of the world's number of slaughtered cattle and buffaloes for meat.
Australia is the largest producer of Grass-Fed beef on the planet and produces some of the world's best Grass-Fed and Grass-Finished beef, including flavor-packed Australian Grass-Fed Wagyu beef.
Did you know Australia Produces 3% of the world's beef & is the 3rd largest beef exporter in the world? While beef is produced in every state and territory in Australia, nearly 50% of the national herd is located in Queensland, with most of Australia's cattle located on pasture-based properties and stations.
According to the ABS, there were 24.4 million cattle (dairy and beef) in Australia in 2021. The breakdown of these numbers by state is as follows: Queensland: 10.7 million head (44%) NSW: 4.4 million head (18%)
Sheep meat consumption
According to the OECD, the consumption of sheep's meat—including both lamb and mutton—is most popular in Kazakhstan, Australia, and Turkey.
Five (5) countries have more cattle than people: Uruguay, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia & Brazil. Five (5) countries have more cattle than people: Uruguay, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia & Brazil. Uruguay has the most cattle per capita in the world. New Zealand has more than twice as many cattle as people.
The countries with the highest meat consumption per capita are Argentina, Israel, and Iceland, while India has one of the lowest levels of meat consumption per capita.
Cattle hold a traditional place as objects of reverence in countries such as India. Some Hindus, particularly Brahmins, are vegetarian and strictly abstain from eating meat. All of those who do eat meat abstain from the consumption of beef, as the cow holds a sacred place in Hinduism.
Beef cattle are reared outdoors in all Australian states and territories. Southern areas with good pasture have herds with a high density of stock and northern areas, with less feed, have herds with a low density of stock. Queensland and New South Wales account for 69% of beef and veal production.
Muslims do not eat pork or other haram (forbidden) animals. Insofar as meat products go, animals such as cows, veal, lamb, goats, turkeys, chickens, ducks, game birds, bison, and venison are acceptable for consumption, so long as they are slaughtered according to Islamic law.
2/ Australian beef is packed full of flavour (and nutrition)
In Australia, around 97% of cattle is grass fed thanks to our plentiful grazing pastures. Many steak aficionados prefer the taste of grass-fed beef as it tends to be more flavoursome and has a classic “meaty” profile.
There are seven breeds of dairy cows in Australia. They are Holstein, Jersey, Aussie Red, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Illawarra and Ayrshire. Discover their unique characteristics and the milk the produce.
Australia shipped 158,000t of beef to China in 2022, a long way from the 300,000t in trade seen in 2019 before the plant suspensions started. One estimate suggested 50pc of Australia's original China-approved processing capacity had been removed following the suspensions.
Aussies actually eat Kanagroo meat. You'll see them packed on supermarket shelves and on restaurant menus. Kangaroo is lean red meat, it's healthy and you can prepare it in many ways – steaks, burgers, sausages, and much more.
NAB economist Phin Ziebell said there were several factors behind the price drop, including an oversupply of cattle in Australia. "What's happened is, we had the drought, we had the herd rebuild, the herd rebuild is done," Mr Ziebell said. "We've had these really great three years, three wet years.
In 2020, Faunalytics reported that the countries with the largest number of slaughtered cows and chickens are China, the United States, and Brazil. Concerning pigs, they are slaughtered by far the most in China, followed by the United States, Germany, Spain, Vietnam, and Brazil.
The slaughter process has two stages: Stunning, when performed correctly, causes an animal to lose consciousness, so the animal can't feel pain. The law states that, with few exceptions, all animals must be stunned before 'sticking' (neck cutting) is carried out.
Australian laws require animals to be 'stunned' unconscious prior to having their throats cut. For cattle, this is normally done using a device called a 'captive bolt gun' which delivers a forceful strike to the forehead to induce unconsciousness.