Chicken meat is Australia’s most consumed source of meat-based protein. With the lowest environmental footprint of all meats, and as the least expensive form of meat protein, Australian chicken is loved for its convenience, affordability, and versatility. The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program invests in research, development and extension to promote industry productivity, profitability and sustainability.
Chicken Meat Australia’s chicken meat industry is officially the nation’s fastest-growing livestock sector, contributing $8 billion to the economy.
4 min read
CHICKEN MEAT / 25.08.25 University of Sydney PhD candidate Shay Sadr, a poultry nutrition researcher and former data analyst, has been named the 2025 AgriFutures Gary Sansom Scholar. Her research focuses on incorporating Australian-grown legumes into broiler (meat) chicken diets to reduce crude protein without compromising bird health or productivity.
3 min read
CHICKEN MEAT / 28.07.25 Research has revealed that metabolisable energy levels in the diets of young meat chickens can be lowered without affecting bird performance. The finding offers important flexibility for industry nutritionists amid an environment of fluctuating ingredient costs.
5 min read
CHICKEN MEAT / 12.06.25 Rebel Northey is reflecting on a year of productive research, industry connections and personal growth that has positioned him at the forefront of sustainable poultry nutrition innovation.
4 min read
The findings of the Economic contribution of Australia’s chicken meat industry 2022-23 report highlight the importance of the chicken meat industry in Australia’s agricultural landscape
Publication / 44 Pages
Lesser mealworm control is hampered by insecticide resistance and limited control options — this project aimed to address data gaps in research conducted to develop...
Publication / 6 Pages
The Australian chicken meat industry is highly efficient and is expected to achieve ongoing reductions in the product carbon footprint of chicken meat over time...
Publication / 6 Pages
This project consisted of four feeding studies to examine the interactive effects of metabolisable energy and amino acid densities in meat chicken diets formulated to...
Publication / 6 Pages
Typically, feed represents at least 70% of meat chicken production input costs, and energy and amino acids (AA) are among the most expensive components of...
Publication / 104 Pages
The primary objective of the Identifying revenue opportunities for AgriFutures Australia’s rural industries project was to identify potential new and alternate revenue sources within 28...
Publication / 2 Pages
Message from the Australian Chicken Meat Federation Chief Executive Officer, Mary Wu The industry is proud to deliver the inaugural Australian Chicken Meat Industry Sustainability...
Publication / 40 Pages
This blueprint serves as a resource for those interested in the chicken meat industry provides essential fast facts alongside the fundamental themes highlighted in the...
Publication / 2 Pages
The Australian chicken meat industry is deeply committed to fostering a workforce that places a premium on safety, health and capability. With more than 58,000...
Publication / 58 Pages
The main objectives of this project were to evaluate commercially available Newcastle disease virus (NDV) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits and determine their suitability as...
Publication / 6 Pages
Murdoch University
June 2025 - March 2026
The University of Melbourne
June 2025 - April 2027
Integrity Ag Pty Ltd
April 2025 - January 2026
University of Southern Queensland
October 2024 - June 2026
University of Southern Queensland
October 2024 - June 2026
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
August 2024 - November 2026
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
August 2024 - November 2026
The University of Adelaide
August 2024 - April 2026
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
June 2024 - June 2026
Central Queensland University
June 2024 - October 2027
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
June 2024 - December 2027
Central Queensland University
June 2024 - October 2027
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
June 2024 - December 2027
Evidn Pty Ltd
June 2024 - May 2026
Integrity Ag Pty Ltd
May 2024 - June 2026
Deloitte Access Economics
May 2024 - January 2025
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
July 2023 - May 2024
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
April 2023 - April 2026
KPMG Australia
April 2023 - October 2023
The State of Queensland acting through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
March 2023 - September 2025
Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia
February 2023 - July 2023
The University of Sydney
February 2023 - February 2025
University of Southern Queensland
February 2023 - May 2024
The State of Queensland acting through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
December 2022 - March 2025
ExoFlare
July 2022 - February 2025
Coombe Consulting
June 2022 - June 2024
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
January 2021 - June 2022
The University of Adelaide (PIRSA/SARDI)
September 2020 - August 2023
The University of Sydney
September 2020 - January 2026
The University of Adelaide
August 2020 - October 2023
Massey University
March 2020 - April 2023
Integrity Ag and Environment Pty Ltd
January 2020 - November 2020
Integrity Ag and Environment Pty Ltd
January 2020 - December 2021
The State of Queensland acting through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
October 2019 - October 2023
Baiada Poultry Pty Ltd
September 2019 - May 2022
Integrity Ag and Environment Pty Ltd
August 2019 - December 2020
Integrity Ag and Environment Pty Ltd
August 2019 - February 2021
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
August 2019 - December 2023
The State of Queensland acting through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
July 2019 - April 2023
The University of Sydney
July 2019 - July 2021
University of New England
July 2019 - July 2021
University of New England
July 2019 - August 2021
The University of Sydney
July 2019 - July 2022
The State of Queensland acting through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
June 2019 - April 2021
University of New England
June 2019 - June 2021
University of New England
June 2019 - December 2020
Rosetta Management Consulting Pty Ltd
June 2019 - August 2020
The University of Adelaide
June 2019 - December 2021
Food Agility CRC Limited
May 2019 - June 2020
University of New England
April 2019 - March 2020
All Energy Pty Ltd
January 2019 - November 2019
Integrity Ag and Environment Pty Ltd
January 2019 - January 2020
EnviroAg Australia Pty Ltd
October 2018 - March 2020
The University of Queensland
August 2018 - July 2020
Integrity Ag and Environment Pty Ltd
August 2018 - April 2021
This AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program RD&E Plan 2022-2027 has been developed to address the issues and opportunities facing the industry, and deliver the overarching vision of the Program to grow the long-term prosperity of the Australian chicken meat industry. The Plan has five priority areas, each with its own objectives, strategies and RD&E activities:
The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program RD&E Plan identifies and balances the research, development and extension priorities and outcomes to promote industry productivity, profitability and sustainability.
Download the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program RD&E Plan 2022-2027
The Australian chicken meat industry operates under a statutory levy of 0.406 cents per meat chicken, paid by the hatchery. Of this, 0.195 cents per chick is allocated to research, development and extension (RD&E) to drive innovation, efficiency, and sustainability.
Levies are collected under the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Acts and can fund biosecurity, residue testing, marketing, and RD&E. For chicken meat, AgriFutures Australia invests the RD&E levy in line with the industry’s Strategic Plan and receives Commonwealth matching funding (up to 50c per dollar of eligible expenditure), along with third-party contributions.
Find out more about your levy
View the Chicken Meat Annual Report Summary
A continued investment in chicken industry research will ensure chicken meat remains the most affordable and popular meat on the Australian domestic market. We are committed to working closely with all those involved in chicken meat production, including Advisory Panels and industry associations to identify research priorities and make investments which will have the greatest impact on the industry.
Learn about the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Advisory Panel
Visit Australian Chicken Meat Federation
The Sustainable Precision Feeding in Broiler Chickens in Australia project is a groundbreaking research consortium focused on securing the future of Australia’s poultry industry by advancing knowledge and publication in the field. It involves a global collaboration of eleven Australian and international universities, the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF), and nine research organisations and project sponsors.
Webinars and resources
Training
Animal Welfare – Applications open
Biosecurity – Applications opening soon.
If you’re passionate about chicken meat research, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re a producer, researcher, or interested in being involved in the industry, reach out to AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program.
For project-related inquiries:
Sarika Pandya
Manager, Levied & Emerging Industries – Chicken Meat Program
0419 787 219
Stacey Gardiner
Coordinator, Levied & Emerging Industries – Chicken Meat Program
(02) 6923 6965
For industry and strategic issues and inquiries:
Amanda Olthof
Senior Manager, Levied & Emerging Industries – Chicken Meat Program
0499 384 037
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