Australia-The Live Shipping Trade.

AUSTRALIA-LIVE SHIPPING TRADE.

Western Australia live export identity Dean Ryan gave a rundown on the expansion of the live export trade with cattle shipped to Israel and lesser numbers to Libya.

As noted in the MLA statistics we quoted recently in QCL, Israel was second behind Indonesia with live exports from Australia. Dean said 90 percent of the cattle to these destinations were sourced from WA, with a smaller percentage drawn from Alice Springs.

He said they shipped young bulls generally weighing from 200-300kg live. These movements are organised through a Jordanian company who have an Australian office in Perth, called the Livestock Shipping Services.

To compile numbers, they access three feedlots in WA - one they own and another two are used to custom feed the bull calves they purchase prior to shipping. Once the cattle reach their destinations in Israel and the Middle East, they are then placed in feedlots for 100 or more days.

In Queensland, the Northern Territory and the Kimberley regions, we concentrate most of our numbers on Asian markets, but to look at the whole picture, we should recognise all important markets.

Dean said all the bull calves sourced for the Middle East must come from blue tongue-free areas, and this included country south of Port Hedland. The company uses dual-carriage ships, loading both sheep and cattle to the Middle East.

On the domestic front, prime beef prices haven’t moved at Queensland plants, while producers fortunate to have green pastures are moving into the marketplace and are prepared to buy quality young cattle. However, agents report older steers are harder to shift.