Livestock & animals

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development supply chain support, research and development and rigorous biosecurity systems underpin the economic success of Western Australia’s livestock industries. In 2011/12, the WA livestock industries contributed 26% of the state’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry production, worth approximately $2 billion at the farm gate.

WA is a world leader in live exports, super fine wool production and dryland sheep and grain systems. Both cattle and sheep systems are focused on export markets to Asia and the Middle East. WA also has innovative, world-class integrated dairy and pork industries meeting local and South East Asian demand for safe, fresh milk and pork. The WA poultry industry is growing strongly as a result of increasing domestic consumption.

Global demand for high-quality, safe animal protein and products produced according to high animal welfare standards will continue to rise in coming years. Increasingly DAFWA will partner with industry -- locally, nationally and internationally -- in transformational business projects to capitalise on this demand.

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Articles

Heat stress in pigs

10 December 2013

Pigs are much more sensitive to heat than other animals so during periods of hot weather it is important to look at ways to reduce heat stress.
Poultry biosecurity checklist for small landholders

2 December 2013

The poultry biosecurity checklist summarises the actions needed to protect your poultry and the Western Australian poultry industry from the devastating effects of emergency diseases such as avian
Business information for sheep enterprises

3 October 2017

The demand for high value agricultural produce continues to increase and provides great opportunity to Australian agriculture.
Slender iceplant poisoning in sheep

4 December 2014

Slender iceplant, Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum, is a small, succulent, winter-growing annual weed, most common in the eastern Wheatbelt.
Mastitis in sheep

3 December 2013

Mastitis is the term for a bacterial infection of the udder. It is most common in ewes raising multiple lambs or with high milk production.
Selenium deficiency in cattle

25 March 2015

Selenium (Se) is now recognised as an essential trace element for ruminants.
Newcastle disease

12 May 2014

Newcastle disease is a severe viral disease of poultry and other birds.
Business information for sheep enterprises

22 August 2017

The demand for high value agricultural produce continues to increase and provides great opportunities to Australian agriculture.
Industry update: live sheep export #4

24 October 2018

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is continuing to monitor and respond to changes in the live export environment which impact the Western Australian sheep industry.
Backgrounding beef for benefit

20 December 2016

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)'s Northern Beef project collaborated with industry groups to evaluate returns from the value-added beef method of backgrounding