Overall cattle exports last year reached 948,240 head, a 10 percent increase on 2008 and the highest since 2002.

Indonesia remains Australia's largest market, with a record 768,133 head exported last year, representing 81 percent of Australia's overall live cattle trade.

The value of all cattle exports reached a record high of A$661 million.

MLA livestock exports manager Michael Finucan said it was encouraging to see that demand for high quality, healthy and disease-free Australian livestock remained strong in 2009 while many other industries' revenues decreased significantly as a result of the global financial crisis.

The trade was also greatly beneficial in providing an alternative market to cattle producers when the global financial crisis impacted demand for beef in markets such as the US and Japan, he said.

"Demand for Australian cattle was strong on the back of a growing Indonesian economy, and the need for affordable protein to feed Indonesia's rapidly growing population."

In addition to the strong export volumes and value, delivery rates remained high with more than 99pc of all Australian livestock delivered fit and healthy at their destinations.

Goat exports also experienced significant growth last year, rising 22pc to just below 100,000 head, worth $11.5m.

Malaysia remained the major destination market, with 91pc of market share.

Almost all goat exports were shipped by air, a fast and efficient way of delivering specialised small consignments to markets to meet their needs.