Cattle, prime beef, live weight, Cereal Zone {AU-SA}| AusLCI, U

Unit process v00.00.000

This dataset represents the production of cattle for beef. The reference flow is 100 Documentation for this dataset can be found in the 'LCAgMetrics Methodology for developing Life Cycle Inventory' report, available at https://agrifutures.com.au/. (Hume, I., Renouf, M.A., Eady, S.J., Grant, T., 2025). It was developed as part of the LCAgMetrics project, a partnership between Agrifutures Australia and Lifecycles, funded by the Australian Government's Sustainability Reporting Uplift Grant as part of the National Agriculture Traceability Grants Program. Production Volume: 12367.287 kg Activities included: The inventory begins with the breeding, growing and maintenance of cattle in the State, Region, and Production System detailed. Activities included are: Pasture, feed inputs, supplements and energy use on farm. Direct field emissions are included. The system boundary ends at the farm gate with the production of cattle for sale in three classes - culled cattle (Cast For Age cows and bulls), prime cattle (heifers, feeder steers and finished steers) and weaner cattle (female and male). Energy values: 13.0 MJ/kg. Nutritional values: Protein: 14.1%. Carbohydrate: 0.8%. Fat: 14.6%. Geography: Cereal Zone, South Australia, Australia. Technology level: Represents current practices as per gross margins reports (NSW DPI 2023 Rural Solutions SA 2022). Time period: 2017-2021. Version: 1.2 Record: Data entry by: Sandra Eady Tel: ; email: office@lifecycles.com.au; company:Lifecycles; Country: AU Generator: Generator/publicator: Sandra Eady Tel: ; email: office@lifecycles.com.au; company:Lifecycles; Country: AU

Sector: Material
Contributor: —
Last updated: 26 Aug 2024
Reference ID: 0014fd91-2c49-3e69-9d6b-6574141348a1

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Documentation

Quantitative reference: Cattle, prime beef, live weight, Cereal Zone {AU-SA}| AusLCI, U
Sampling procedure: Herd structure and product turn-off from Breedcow Beef CRC templates (Holmes et al. 2011), Gross Margin publications (New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
Creation date: 26 Aug 2024
Is copyright protected: No
Is infrastructure process: No
Tags: material
Sources: National Inventory Report (NIR) 2023/2025/DCCEEW
Ash alkalinity/1991/Slattery et al.
Building a foundation for soil condition assessment/2009/Baldock et al.
Environmental performance of large ruminant supply chains/2016/FAO
A Greenhouse Accounting Framework for Beef and Sheep/2020/Ekonomou A.
Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2018-2022/2023/ABS
Assessing beef carcass tissue weights\2010\Navajas et al.
Beef Cattle Gross Margin Budget/2023/NSW DPI /2023
Efficiency of absorbed protein/2018/Mariz, L.D.S. et al
Farm Gross Margin 2015/2015/Rural Solutions SA PIRSA
Land use of Australia 2010-11 to 2020-21/2024/ABARES
Protein content of liveweight/2022/Honig, A.C. et al
Representative Herds Templates for Northern Australia V1.00/2011/Holmes et al.
The heat of combustion values of the protein and fat in pigs\1972\Sharma et al.

Product outputs

Flow	Amount	Unit	Comment
Cattle, manufacturing beef, live weight, Cereal Zone , biogenic C not balanced {AU-SA}\| AusLCI, U	6159.756	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Quantity of Culled cattle sold (kg live weight) e.g. mature bulls and cows. Carbon content, fossil: 0.0 kg C/kg dry mass. Carbon content, non-fossil: 0.51 kg C/kg dry mass. Dry mass: 0.32 kg/kg wet mass. Wet mass: 1 kg/kg wet mass.
Cattle, prime beef, live weight, Cereal Zone {AU-SA}\| AusLCI, U	12367.287	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Quantity of Prime Cattle sold as Steers or Heifers (kg live weight). Carbon content, fossil: 0.0 kg C/kg dry mass. Carbon content, non-fossil: 0.51 kg C/kg dry mass. Dry mass: 0.32 kg/kg wet mass. Wet mass: 1 kg/kg wet mass.
Weaned cattle, live weight, Cereal Zone , biogenic C not balanced {AU-SA}\| AusLCI, U	13006.901	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Quantity of Weaner Cattle sold (kg live weight). Carbon content, fossil: 0.0 kg C/kg dry mass. Carbon content, non-fossil: 0.51 kg C/kg dry mass. Dry mass: 0.32 kg/kg wet mass. Wet mass: 1 kg/kg wet mass.

Technical inputs

Flow	Amount	Unit	Comment
Carbon correction factor {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	113.9127997995065	kg	(2,3,1,1,1,na) - Biogenic carbon correction for prime cattle. Note other products are not balanced for biogenic carbon in this process, but are balanced in a subsequent linked process. All other flows other than biogenic carbon are allocated correction from this inventory.
Cattle, internal parasite control {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	380.0	Item(s)	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Internal parasite treatments for the herd.
Cattle, prime beef, live weight, Cereal Zone {AU-SA}\| AusLCI, U	762.3	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total liveweight of replacement bulls purchased each year (kg)
Cereal hay {AU}\| market for cereal hay \| AusLCI, U	3150.0	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Total hay for herd from matching geographical region/state.
Chemical, organic {GLO}\| market for chemical, organic \| Cut-off, U	380.0	g	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Vaccine administered for clostridial and reproductive diseases (ml).
Coconut, dehusked {GLO}\| market for coconut, dehusked \| Cut-off, U	0.0	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Coconut used as proxy for copra.
Cottonseed meal, at oil mill {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	0.0	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Total cottonseed meal for herd from matching geographical region/state.
Cottonseed meal, at oil mill {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	0.0	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Total protein pellets 20% CP for herd.
Dry season mix, 30% urea, 5.5% P, at production {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	2292.298	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Total dry season mineral supplement for herd.
Electricity, low voltage {AU-NT}\| market for electricity, low voltage \| AusLCI, U	211.7	kWh	(1,1,1,1,1,na) Electricity calculated from economic data reported in farm survey data from ABARES for 2018-2022 (https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/data/farm-data-portal).
Fertilizing, broadacre crop, pre & post-emergence, conventional {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	381.103	ha	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.5 Uncertainty. Application of fertiliser to pasture.
Forage sorghum, irrigated, Darling Downs QLD {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	0.0	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Total hay for herd from matching geographical region/state.
Molasses, C-grade, at mill gate, {AU-QLD}\| sugarcane milling \| AusLCI, U	0.0	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Total hay for herd from matching geographical region/state.
Oat grain {AU}\| market for oat grain \| AusLCI, U	0.0	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Total area oats grazed by herd from matching geographical region/state.
Polyurethane, flexible foam {GLO}\| market for \| Cut-off, U	2250.0	g	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total weight of ID tags for flock.
Single superphosphate {AU}\| market for single superphosphate \| AusLCI, U	3811.03	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Single superphosphate for pasture improvement.
Tractor engine operation, on farm, per litre of diesel consumed {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	65.0	l	(1,1,1,1,1,na) 1.05 Uncertainty. Fuel calculated from economic data reported in farm survey data from ABARES for 2018-2022 (https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/data/farm-data-portal).
Transport, truck, 28t, fleet average {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	2010.5052	t*km	(3,1,1,1,1,na) 2.1 Uncertainty. Total transport for inputs to the system in tkm. All assumed to be transported by articulated trucks.
Transport, truck, 60t load {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	83.853	t*km	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 2 Uncertainty. Livestock transport for purchased bulls.
Wet season mix, 0% N 21% P, at production {AU}\| \| AusLCI, U	0.0	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.07. Total wet season mineral supplement without N for herd.

Elementary flow inputs

Flow	Sub-compartment	Amount	Unit	Comment
Carbon dioxide	unspecified	46303.62846404533	kg	Nett additinal biogenic carbon absorbed by pasture and transferred to liveweight of the aminal after accounting for external biogenic carbon inputs such as feed.
Occupation, grassland, natural, for livestock grazing	land	381.103	ha*a	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.5. Intersection of livestock region (based on SA2 units) and 2021 Land Use Map (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences 2024) for natural and sown pastures combined with Agricultural Commodities, Australia (2018-2022) for livestock numbers.
Transformation, from grassland, natural, for livestock grazing	land	381.103	ha	No net land transformation assumed. Any net land transformations due to direct land use change (dLUC) to be added when more clarity regarding LUC estimation method, and consistent with carbon fluxes from dLUC
Transformation, to grassland, natural, for livestock grazing	land	381.103	ha	No net land transformation assumed. Any net land transformations due to direct land use change (dLUC) to be added when more clarity regarding LUC estimation method, and consistent with carbon fluxes from dLUC
Water, unspecified natural origin, Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges, SA, AU	—	0.008003163	ML	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Evaporative water loss from farm dam occuring in Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges, SA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges, SA, AU	—	31353.277137	l	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total water use is calculated from cattle drinking water requirements taking account water content of feed and mean ambient temperature occuring in Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges, SA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, Lake Eyre, NSW, QLD, NT and SA, AU	—	40311.356319	l	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total water use is calculated from cattle drinking water requirements taking account water content of feed and mean ambient temperature occuring in Lake Eyre, NSW, QLD, NT and SA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, Lake Eyre, NSW, QLD, NT and SA, AU	—	0.010289781000000001	ML	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Evaporative water loss from farm dam occuring in Lake Eyre, NSW, QLD, NT and SA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, Murray, NSW, VIC and SA, AU	—	416550.68196300004	l	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total water use is calculated from cattle drinking water requirements taking account water content of feed and mean ambient temperature occuring in Murray, NSW, VIC and SA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, Murray, NSW, VIC and SA, AU	—	0.10632773700000002	ML	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Evaporative water loss from farm dam occuring in Murray, NSW, VIC and SA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, South Australian Gulf, SA, AU	—	0.09337023500000001	ML	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Evaporative water loss from farm dam occuring in South Australian Gulf, SA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, South Australian Gulf, SA, AU	—	365788.233265	l	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total water use is calculated from cattle drinking water requirements taking account water content of feed and mean ambient temperature occuring in South Australian Gulf, SA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, South East Coast, NSW, VIC and SA, AU	—	71664.633456	l	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total water use is calculated from cattle drinking water requirements taking account water content of feed and mean ambient temperature occuring in South East Coast, NSW, VIC and SA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, South East Coast, NSW, VIC and SA, AU	—	0.018292944000000002	ML	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Evaporative water loss from farm dam occuring in South East Coast, NSW, VIC and SA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, South Western Plateau, WA, AU	—	567345.01486	l	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total water use is calculated from cattle drinking water requirements taking account water content of feed and mean ambient temperature occuring in South Western Plateau, WA, AU catchment.
Water, unspecified natural origin, South Western Plateau, WA, AU	—	0.14481914	ML	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Evaporative water loss from farm dam occuring in South Western Plateau, WA, AU catchment.

Elementary flow outputs

Flow	Compartment	Sub-compartment	Amount	Unit	Comment
Ammonia	Emission to air	unspecified	1312.9861818181816	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.4. NH3 emission
Area grazed	Non material emissions	—	381.103	ha	—
Carbon dioxide, from soil or biomass stock	Emission to air	low population density	0.0	kg	This flow intentionally set to zero. Carbon fluxes from direct land use change (dLUC) to be added when more clarity regarding LUC estimation method
Dinitrogen monoxide	Emission to air	unspecified	65.068	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.4. N2O Dung and Urine
Dinitrogen monoxide	Emission to air	unspecified	1.004	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.4. N2O leaching and runoff
Dinitrogen monoxide	Emission to air	unspecified	6.832	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.4. N2O atmospheric deposition
Dinitrogen monoxide	Emission to air	low population density	0.0	kg	(1,3,2,1,1,na) - 1.4 Uncertainty.Nitrous oxide production from mineralisation due to loss of soil carbon, NIR 2022 Source: NIR 2023 (DCCEEW, 2025).
Enteric methane	Non material emissions	—	10675.902	kg	—
Evaporative water loss	Non material emissions	—	381.103	m3	—
Livestock N2O all sources	Non material emissions	—	66072006.832	kg	—
Methane, non-fossil	Emission to air	unspecified	9.908678	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.21. Farm dam Methane
Methane, non-fossil	Emission to air	unspecified	549.553	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.21. Manure Methane
Methane, non-fossil	Emission to air	unspecified	10675.902	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.21. Enteric Methane
Nitrogen	Emission to water	ground water	57.442109	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Uncertainty 1.5. N leached from Dung and Urine
Water intake of livestock	Non material emissions	—	1493.013197	m3	—
hydrogen ions	Emissions to soil	—	8.544048536000002	kg	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Net change in H ions due to imports (feriliser, feeds) to and exports (cattle liveweight) from the farm

Parameters

Name	Value	Formula	Description
KM_Molasses	400.0	—	(3,1,1,1,1,na) Estimate of transport distance for molasses (km)
BioC_as_CH4_emissions	8426.5227585	(Ent_CH4+Man_CH4+Dam_Ch4)*12/16	kg biogenic carbon emitted as methane from various sources.
PUR_Bulls_WT	770.0	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Liveweight (kg) of replacement bulls purchased each year. Breedcow Beef CRC templates (Holmes et al. 2011) and Gross Margin publications ( New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
Wet_mix	—	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total wet season lick (kg)
CC_Hay	0.4	—	(2,3,1,1,1,na) Carbon content of 0.4 as DM, NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025)
DM_Dry_mix	0.9	—	(2,3,3,1,1,na) - Dry matter fraction of dry season mix
LEACH_N2O	1.004	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) kg N2O from leached N. Calculated using GAFF Beef and Sheep based on NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025) Frac_WET estimated independently for each livestock region.
DLUC_value	—	—	[tCO2eq/ha/year] Annual direct CO2 emissions from land use change. This flow intentionally set to zero. Carbon fluxes from direct land use change (dLUC) to be added when more clarity regarding LUC estimation method
Soil_C_loss	—	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Change in Soil Orgnic Carbon t C/ha/year in 0-30cm layer
All_Weaners_Eco	45.03628565593317	(KG_WeanersP_Weaners)/(P_PrimeCattleKG_PrimeCattle+P_CulledBreedersKG_CulledBreeders+KG_WeanersP_weaners)*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Economic allocation fraction for Weaned cattle - default for AusLCI (%)
Molasses	—	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total molasses fed (kg)
EFF_P_Lwt	0.4	—	(1,1,2,1,2,na) - Efficiency of use of absorbed protein partitioned to liveweight. Mariz, L.D.S. 2018 J. Anim Sci 96: 670-683 doi: 10.1093/jas/sky018
CC_Molasses	0.347	—	(2,3,1,1,1,na) Carbon content of 0.42 as DM
ID_tags	2250.0	Calves_weaned*ID_tag	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Weight of ID tags total (g)
BioC_Actual_CulledBreeders	1063.0445307240002	kg_CulledbreedersDM_LivecattleCC_Livecattle	The actual amount of biogenic carbon which should be allocated culled breeders in kg C.
BioC_Products	5442.096521576002	ProducttotalDM_LivecattleCC_Livecattle	kg biogenic carbon in outputs of all products in the inventory before applying allocation
Calves_weaned	90.0	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Number of calves weaned using herd structure from from Breedcow Beef CRC templates (Holmes et al. 2011) and farm gross margins (New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
N_LeachGW	57.442109	TotN_LeachGW-(TotN_LeachGW*EFN_Leach)	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.4 Uncertainty. N leached to ground water adjusted for N loss from N2O (kg).
BioC_inputs	1240.3569717	HayDM_hayCC_Hay+CopraDM_CopraCC_Copra+MolassesDM_MolassesCC_Molasses+CottonseedDM_CottonseedCC_Cottonseed+Protein_PelletsDM_Protein_PelletsCC_Protein_Pellets+PUR_BullsDM_LivecattleCC_Livecattle	kg biogenic carbon inputs from feeds
BioC_CurrentAll_PrimeCattle	2248.246822972507	BioC_Products*All_PrimeCattle/100	Due to the allocation approach this is how much biogenic CO2 is being directed to the prime cattle product. in kg C. This is likely not the correct amount.
DAM_CH4_HA	0.026	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Methane emissions form farm dams (kg CH4 ha/yr), calcuted using the temperature based approach descibed by NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025). Dam density described by NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025).
F_MiddaMidda_VIC	0.001	—	Fraction of Midda Midda, Vic, AU catchment in livestock region.
BioC_Pasture_nett	12628.262308376	BioC_Products+BioC_as_CH4_emissions-BioC_inputs	kg biogenic carbon added to cattle by pasture after accounting incoming feed, respiration, losses as methane and other losses from system.
All_CulledBreeders_En	19.533731651201006	En_CulledBreeders/Tot_En*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Allocation to CulledBreeders based on energy content (%)
F_Eastern_Mount_Lofty_Ranges_SA	0.021	—	Fraction of Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges, SA, AU catchment in livestock region.
oat_yield	100.0	—	(1,1,1,1,1,na) Yield of grazing oats
soil_NC_frac	0.09090909090909091	1/(10+1)	Fraction of N to C in soil, based on a CN ratio of 1:10 - NIR 2023 (DCCEEW, 2025).
AF_Protein_Pellets	—	—	(2,2,2,2,1,na) - Acid factor for protein pellets (kMol/kg) based on (Baldock et al. 2009).
KG_PrimeCattle	12367.287	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Quantity of Prime cattle sold (kg live weight) e.g. steers/bullocks, heifers (2 and 3 year old), calculated using herd structure from Breedcow Beef CRC templates (Holmes et al. 2011), Gross Margin publications ( New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
P_CulledBreeders	2.76	—	(1,1,1,1,1,na) Average price for National Processor Cow Indicator ($/kg live weight sold) from MLA https://www.mla.com/prices-markets/statistics/ for 5 year period 2019 - 2024.
BioC_CurrentAll_CulledBreeders	758.4824479767565	(BioC_Products+BioC_all_Corr_Primecattle)*All_Culledbreeders/100	Due to the allocation approach this is how much biogenic CO2 is being directed to the culled breeders product. in kg C. This is likely not the correct amount.
CC_Wet_mix	—	—	(2,3,1,1,1,na) Carbon content 0.0 of wet season mix
All_Pro_Weaners	41.24730163787948	Pro_Weaners/Pro_Total*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Allocation to Weaners based on protein requirement (%)
KG_Weaners	13006.901	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Quantity of Weaners sold (kg live weight) - both sexes < 1 year old, calculated using herd structure from Breedcow Beef CRC templates (Holmes et al. 2011), Gross Margin publications ( New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
Fuel_use	65.0	Fuel*Cows	(1,1,1,1,1,na) 1.05 Uncertainty. Whole farm fuel use (L)
EN_CulledBreeders	19095243.6	En_lwt1000KG_CulledBreeders	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total calorific value (kcal) of VulledBreeders.
CC_Cottonseed	0.45	—	(2,3,1,1,1,na) Carbon content of 0.4 as DM, NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025)
DM_Wet_mix	0.9	—	(2,3,3,1,1,na) - Dry matter fraction of wet season mix
BioC_Actual_Weaners	2244.717967679	kg_WeanersDM_LivecattleCC_Livecattle	The actual amount of biogenic carbon which should be allocated weaners in kg C.
Dry_mix	2292.298	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total dry season lick (kg)
DM_Copra	0.9	—	(2,3,3,1,1,na) - Dry matter fraction of copra
P_PrimeCattle	4.16	—	(1,1,1,1,1,na) Average price for Young Cattle Indicator (Eastern and Western) and National Feeder Steer ($/kg live weight sold) from MLA https://www.mla.com/prices-markets/statistics/ for 5 year period 2019 - 2024.
BioC_all_Corr_Primecattle	113.9127997995065	BioC_CurrentAll_PrimeCattle-BioC_Actual_Primecattle	This is the correction to the biogenic carbon required to balance the biogenic carbon for prime cattle in kg C.
AF_Dry_mix	0.012	—	(2,2,2,2,1,na) - Acid factor for urea (kMol/kg) assuming 30% urea in dry season mix, based on (Baldock et al. 2009).
ENT_CH4	10675.902	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) kg Methane from enteric fermentation. Calculated using GAFF Beef and Sheep based on NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025)
All_CulledBreeders	13.651569032806771	iff(Allocation=1;All_CulledBreeders_Eco;iff(Allocation=2; All_Culledbreeders_EN; iff(Allocation =3; All_Culledbreeders_Mass; All_Pro_Culledbreeders)))	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Allocation to culled breeders. (%)
BiogenicCO2	—	Soil_C_loss3.667HA_GRAZING*0	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.5 Uncertainty. Total SOC change in units of CO2-eq
HA_GRAZING	381.103	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Hectares grazing land by Livestock Region based on based on SA2 Level data from Agricultural Commodities data for five years from 2017/18-2021/22 (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2023) and Land Use of Australia (ABARES 2025).
DAM_CH4	9.908678	DAM_CH4_ha*HA_GRAZING	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total methane emissions form darm dams (kg) (excluding manure fraction which is counted elsewhere)
DU_N2O	65.068	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) kg N2O from dung and urine. Calculated using GAFF Beef and Sheep based on NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025)
NAAR_Inputs	-2.177492424	(Dry_mixAF_Dry_mix+Wet_mixAF_Wet_mix+HayAF_Hay+CopraAF_Copra+MolassesAF_Molasses+CottonseedAF_Cottonseed+Protein_Pellets*AF_Protein_Pellets)/1000	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Net change in soil acidity (H ion eq) from imported products (feeds, fertilizer)
KM_Copra	600.0	—	(3,1,1,1,1,na) Estimate of transport distance for copra (km)
EN_PrimeCattle	38338589.7	EN_lwt1000KG_PrimeCattle	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total calorific value (kcal) of PrimeCattle.
KM_fuel	300.0	—	(3,1,1,1,1,na) Estimate of transport distance for fuel to farm (km)
Sorghum_graz	—	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total area of forage sorghum grazed (ha)
Water	1493013.197	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total drinking water intake (L/year)
P_Weaners	4.312	—	(1,1,1,1,1,na) Average price for Restocker Yearlings (Heifers and Steers) ($/kg live weight sold) from MLA https://www.mla.com/prices-markets/statistics/ for 5 year period 2019 - 2024.
All_PrimeCattle_En	39.21896671091951	En_PrimeCattle/Tot_En*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Allocation to PrimeCattle based on energy content (%)
All_CulledBreeders_Mass	19.533731651201002	kg_CulledBreeders/ProductTotal*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Mass allocation fraction for Culled cattle (%)
F_South_East_Coast_NSW_VIC_and_SA	0.048	—	Fraction of South East Coast, NSW, VIC and SA, AU catchment in livestock region.
DM_Molasses	0.825	—	(2,3,3,1,1,na) - Dry matter fraction of molasses
KM_Cottonseed	400.0	—	(3,1,1,1,1,na) Estimate of transport distance for cottonseed (km)
All_PrimeCattle_Mass	39.2189667109195	kg_PrimeCattle/ProductTotal*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Mass allocation fraction for Prime cattle (%)
KM_fert	200.0	—	(3,1,1,1,1,na) Estimate of transport distance for fertiliser to farm (km)
Oats_graz	—	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total area of forage oats grazed (ha)
Allocation	1.0	—	Allocation switch, 1 = Economic alocation (default for AusLCI), 2 = Energy allocation, 3 = Mass allocation, 4 = Protein Allocation.
ID_tagbad	25.0	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Was listed as Total drinking water intake (L/year)
EN_lwt	3.1	—	(1,1,2,1,2,na) - Calorific value (kcal/g) of live cattle at 54% dressing %. Sharma et al. 1972 and Navaja et al. 2010.
ID_tag	25.0	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Weight of plastic ID tag individual (g)
Pro_Weaners	1040.5520800000002	KG_WeanersPC_LwtEFF_P_Lwt	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total protein requirement to produce Weaners (kg)
All_PrimeCattle	41.31214531126005	iff(Allocation=1;All_PrimeCattle_Eco;iff(Allocation=2; All_PrimeCattle_EN; iff(Allocation =3; All_PrimeCattle_Mass; All_Pro_PrimeCattle)))	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Allocation to prime cattle. (%)
AF_Cattle	0.34	—	(2,2,2,2,1,na) - Acid factor for red meat (kMol/kg) based on (Slattery et al.).
F_Lake_Eyre_NSW_QLD_NT_and_SA	0.027	—	Fraction of Lake Eyre, NSW, QLD, NT and SA, AU catchment in livestock region.
BioC_Actual_Primecattle	2134.3340231730003	kg_PrimecattleDM_LivecattleCC_Livecattle	The actual amount of biogenic carbon which should be allocated Prime cattle in kg C.
Evap_water_loss_T	0.381103	Evap_water_loss*HA_GRAZING	(1,1,1,1,1,na) 1.05 Uncertainty. Total evaporative water loss from farm dams (ML/year)
EFN_mineral	0.004	—	(1,3,2,1,1,na) - [kgN2O-N/kgN] emission factor for N emissions from mineralisations - NIR 2023 (DCCEEW, 2025).
CC_Dry_mix	—	—	(2,3,1,1,1,na) Carbon content 0.0 of dry season mix
KG_CulledBreeders	6159.756	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Quantity of Culled cattle sold (kg live weight) e.g. mature bulls, cows and spay cows >3 years old, calculated using herd structure from Breedcow Beef CRC templates (Holmes et al. 2011), Gross Margin publications ( New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
KM_Lick	400.0	—	(3,1,1,1,1,na) Estimate of transport distance for dry and wet season lick (km)
Elec	2.117	—	(1,1,1,1,1,na) Electricity (kWh/Cow mated) calculated from economic data reported in farm survey data from ABARES for 2018-2022 (https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/data/farm-data-portal).
PC_Lwt	0.2	—	(1,1,2,1,2,na) - Protein content of liveweight. Honig, A.C. et al. 2022 Meat Science 184 doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108685
DM_Hay	0.88	—	(2,3,3,1,1,na) - Dry matter fraction of hay
PR_fert	1.0	—	(1,1,1,1,1,na) - Proportion of grazed area fertilsed with single superphosphate
AF_Hay	-0.7	—	(2,2,2,2,1,na) - Acid factor for hay (kMol/kg) based on (Slatery et al.).
PUR_Bulls_NO	0.99	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Number of replacement bulls purchased per year. Breedcow Beef CRC templates (Holmes et al. 2011) and Gross Margin publications (New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
Hay	3150.0	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total hay fed (kg)
BioC_all__corr_CulledBreeders	304.5620827472437	BioC_Actual_CulledBreeders-BioC_CurrentAll_CulledBreeders	This is the correction to the biogenic carbon required to balance the biogenic carbon for culled breeders in kg C.
IntParasites_weaners	2.0	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) -Number of internal parasite treatments for weaners (New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
EFN_Leach	0.011	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Emissions factor for proportion of N leached released as N2O.
Evap_water_loss	0.001	—	(1,1,1,1,1,na) Evaporative water loss from farm dams (ML/ha/year). Dam density described by NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025) with evaporation rate from Bureau of Metorology 1990-2020.
F_Murray_NSW_VIC_and_SA	0.279	—	Fraction of Murray, NSW, VIC and SA, AU catchment in livestock region.
Elec_use	211.7	Elec*Cows	(1,1,1,1,1,na) 1.05 Uncertainty. Whole farm electricity use (kWh)
DLUC_switch	—	—	By default the switch is set to 0 to not include direct land use change. To include the value for direct land use change set the switch to 1. Direct land use change calculation approach is still uncertain
Cottonseed	—	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total cottonseed fed (kg)
KM_Protein_pellets	600.0	—	(3,1,1,1,1,na) Estimate of transport distance for protein_pellets (km)
CC_livecattle	0.541	—	(2,3,1,1,1,na) Carbon content 0.541 of animal as DM. (Average carbon content of 0.175 C/kg liveweight assuming dressing of 63%, carcase composition of 70% meat, 20% fat and 10% bone; dry matter content of 15% by-product (blood, rumen, heads and hooves), 25% meat, 85% fat and 74% bone; and carbon content of 53% by-product, 53% meat, 76% fat and 7.5% bone.)
CC_Protein_Pellets	0.405	—	(2,3,1,1,1,na) Carbon content of 0.5 as DM
NAAR_Cattle	10.721540960000002	producttotal*af_cattle/1000	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Change in soil acidity (H ion eq/t) from export of cattle product
AF_Molasses	—	—	(2,2,2,2,1,na) - Acid factor for molasses (kMol/kg) based on (Baldock et al. 2009).
IntParasites_cows	2.0	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) -Number of internal parasite treatments for cows (New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
N_Mineralised	—	Soil_C_loss*soil_NC_frac	[Kg N] The amount of N released from SOC mineralisation - Calculated
TRANS_cattle	83.853	PUR_Bulls/1000*KM_Cattle	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 2 Uncertainty. Livestock transport for purchased cattle (t.km).
All_PrimeCattle_Eco	41.31214531126005	(P_PrimeCattleKG_PrimeCattle)/(P_PrimeCattleKG_PrimeCattle+P_CulledBreedersKG_CulledBreeders+KG_WeanersP_weaners)*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Economic allocation fraction for Prime cattle - default for AusLCI (%)
AF_Cottonseed	—	—	(2,2,2,2,1,na) - Acid factor for cottonseed (kMol/kg) based on (Baldock et al. 2009).
All_Weaners	45.03628565593317	iff(Allocation=1;All_Weaners_Eco;iff(Allocation=2; All_Weaners_EN; iff(Allocation =3; All_Weaners_Mass; All_Pro_Weaners)))	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Allocation to weaners. (%)
Tot_P_fert	3811.03	P_fertHA_GrazingPR_fert	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total fertiliser applied as single superphosphate (kg)
Protein_Pellets	—	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total protein pellets 20% CP fed (kg)
AF_Wet_mix	—	—	(2,2,2,2,1,na) - Acid factor for urea (kMol/kg) assuming 30% urea in wet season mix, based on (Baldock et al. 2009).
F_Southstralian_Gulf_SA	0.245	—	Fraction of South Australian Gulf, SA, AU catchment in livestock region.
All_Weaners_Mass	41.24730163787948	kg_Weaners/ProductTotal*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Mass allocation fraction for Weaner cattle (%)
BioC_all__corr_Weaners	-257.50226136594756	BioC_Actual_Weaners-BioC_CurrentAll_Weaners	This is the correction to the biogenic carbon required to balance the biogenic carbon for weaners in kg C.
P_fert	10.0	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Fertiliser applied as single superphosphate 8.8% P (kg/ha/year). Breedcow Beef CRC templates (Holmes et al. 2011), Gross Margin publications ( New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
Vaccine	380.0	(Cows+Calves_weaned)*Vaccine_vol	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Vaccine administered for clostridial and reproductive diseases (ml).
PUR_Bulls	762.3	PUR_Bulls_WT*PUR_Bulls_NO	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total liveweight of replacement bulls purchased each year (kg)
ATMOS_N2O	6.832	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) kg N2O from N deposited from atmosphere. Calculated using GAFF Beef and Sheep based on NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025)
DM_Cottonseed	0.9	—	(2,3,3,1,1,na) - Dry matter fraction of cottonseed
Cows	100.0	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Number of cows and heifers mated using herd structure from from Breedcow Beef CRC templates (Holmes et al. 2011) and farm gross margins (New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
TotN_LeachGW	58.081	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) total N leached to ground water (kg). Calculated using GAFF Beef and Sheep based on NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025)
All_Pro_CulledBreeders	19.533731651201002	Pro_CulledBreeders/Pro_Total*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Allocation to Culled Breeders based on protein requirement (%)
Pro_Total	2522.7155200000007	Pro_CulledBreeders+Pro_PrimeCattle+Pro_Weaners	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total protein requirment for all coproducts leaving the farm (kg)
DM_Protein_Pellets	0.9	—	(2,3,3,1,1,na) - Dry matter fraction of protein pellets
EN_Weaners	40321393.1	EN_lwt1000KG_Weaners	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total calorific value (kcal) of Weaners.
Vaccine_vol	2.0	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Volume of individual vaccine (ml)
Fuel	0.65	—	(1,1,1,1,1,na) Fuel (L diesel/Cow mated) calculated from economic data reported in farm survey data from ABARES for 2018-2022 (https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/data/farm-data-portal).
DM_Livecattle	0.319	—	(2,3,3,1,1,na) - Dry matter fraction of cattle
CC_Copra	0.45	—	(2,3,1,1,1,na) Carbon content of 0.5 as DM
Anthelmintics	380.0	(CowsIntParasites_cows)+(Calves_weanedIntParasites_weaners)	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Number of doses of anthelmintic adimistered for internal parasites
DeterminingProd	13006.901	KG_Weaners	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Determining product will change with production system: = KG_Weaners when KG_Weaners > KG_PrimeCattle, otherwise KG_PrimeCattle.
AF_Copra	—	—	(2,2,2,2,1,na) - Acid factor for copra (kMol/kg) based on web search unspecifed sources.
MAN_CH4	549.553	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) kg Methane from manure. Calculated using GAFF Beef and Sheep based on NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025)
DMI	515744.076	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) kg Dry matter intake. Calculated using GAFF Beef and Sheep based on NIR 2023 (DCCEEW 2025)
KM_Cattle	110.0	—	(1,1,1,1,1,na) Estimate of transport distance for purchased bulls (km). See Durr et al. 2010 at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287990558_GIS_mapping_of_cattle_market_service_areas_using_the_National_Livestock_Identification_System_NLIS_-_Final_report
Cattle	203.492	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total number of cattle (Adult Equivalents) carried for the year using herd structure from from Breedcow Beef CRC templates (Holmes et al. 2011) and farm gross margins (New South Wales Department of Primary Industries 2023; Ag Excellence Alliance 2024).
All_Weaners_En	41.24730163787949	En_Weaners/Tot_En*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Allocation to Weaners based on energy content (%)
F_South_Western_Plateau_WA	0.38	—	Fraction of South Western Plateau, WA, AU catchment in livestock region.
Pro_PrimeCattle	989.3829600000001	KG_PrimeCattlePC_LwtEFF_P_Lwt	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total protein requirement to produce PrimeCattle (kg)
KM_Hay	100.0	—	(3,1,1,1,1,na) Estimate of transport distance for hay (km)
Tot_En	97755226.4	En_CulledBreeders+En_PrimeCattle+En_Weaners	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total calorific value (kcal) of co-products.
Soil_C_Change_Switch	—	—	By default the switch is set to 0 to not soil carbon change. To include the value for soil carbon change set the switch to 1. The results still contain significant uncertainty and should be used with extreme care. -
BioC_CurrentAll_Weaners	2502.2202290449477	(BioC_Products+BioC_all_Corr_Primecattle)*All_Weaners/100	Due to the allocation approach this is how much biogenic CO2 is being directed to the weaner product. in kg C. This is likely not the correct amount.
All_Pro_PrimeCattle	39.2189667109195	Pro_PrimeCattle/Pro_Total*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Allocation to Prime Cattle based on protein requirement (%)
All_CulledBreeders_Eco	13.651569032806771	(KG_CulledBreedersP_CulledBreeders)/(P_PrimeCattleKG_PrimeCattle+P_CulledBreedersKG_CulledBreeders+KG_WeanersP_weaners)*100	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Economic allocation fraction for Culled cattle (%) - default for AusLCI
ProductTotal	31533.944000000003	KG_PrimeCattle+KG_CulledBreeders+kg_Weaners	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total production of cattle from this process (kg live weight)
Copra	—	—	(2,1,1,1,1,na) Total copra meal fed (kg)
Pro_CulledBreeders	492.7804800000001	KG_CulledBreedersPC_LwtEFF_P_Lwt	(2,1,1,1,1,na) 1.07 Uncertainty. Total protein requirement to produce Culled Breeders (kg)
TotalTkmRoad	2010.5052	(Dry_mixKM_Lick+Wet_mixKM_LICK+HayKM_Hay+CopraKM_Copra+MolassesKM_Molasses+CottonseedKM_Cottonseed+Protein_PelletsKM_Protein_Pellets+Tot_P_fertKM_fert+Fuel_use0.84KM_fuel)/1000	(3,1,1,1,1,na) 2.1 Uncertainty. Total transport for inputs to the system in tkm. All assumed to be transported by articulated trucks.