CATTLE

Cattle shortages and cheap buffalo take its toll

ONGOING cattle shortages and cheaper frozen buffalo meat are taking its toll on live exporters who are losing money servicing Asian markets, despite a strong rally at the end of 2017 where seven vessels were loaded at the Darwin Port in just eight days.

Kristy Moroney
Cattle shortages and cheap buffalo take its toll

Two live exporters Frontier International Agri and Wellard have both reported losses.

Frontier International Agri managing director Will McEwin told ABC Rural the company had lost money on some consignments.

"One customer in particular has been in development mode, so they have gone from a very minor player in 2016 to being the biggest importer in Vietnam in 2017 and we are their major supplier," McEwin said.

"That partnership has helped us maintain volume but unfortunately for probably all exporters, maintaining volume has come at a cost of margin and that is where it has been very difficult,” he said.

"There are those factors that come into play and it has resulted in the fact that we have lost money on some consignments.”

In August, ASX-listed exporter Wellard also pointed to high beef prices as the reason for the company posting a $77 million loss.

According to a media report in Indonesia, the government will allow 31,000 tonnes of frozen buffalo meat to be imported from India this year.

The report stated the allocation of 31,000 tonnes was an "unrealised allocation" from 2017, with last year's total import of frozen Indian buffalo meat amounting to 55,000 tonnes.

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