Indonesian market shift opens up to Broome cattle exports after seven months

Kimberley pastoralists in the middle of mustering are “hanging on” for boats to take their cattle after high Australian prices reduced Indonesian demand, forcing their biggest market to look for alternatives.

The northern cattle trade from Broome port started last month after a seven-month hiatus, with 6400 head of feeder cattle shipped to Indonesia, and a further 1696 sent to the Philippines.

A further 2438 head of feeder cattle were shipped from Wyndham to Indonesia in May, bringing the total number of cattle shipped from northern WA to 10,534 for the month.

While welcomed, it had not been the start to the season the industry was hoping for.

Anna Plains station owner David Stoate — who exports from Broome — said there had been less boats than usual and the May shipment had come later than normal, with the season normally starting in April.

“The cattle market is tight at the moment and it has meant less boats out of Broome,” Mr Stoate said.

“This one has come later than normal and there have been been less boats overall.”

He said pastoralists were “hanging on” waiting for boats to arrive with cattle ready for the market.

“There’s not much we can do but hang on the best we can,” Mr Stoate said.

“Everyone is hanging on for boats — hopefully that’ll be in the not too distant future.”

The May shipment is the first live cattle shipment from the Port of Broome since October last year, when 12,937 feeder cattle were shipped to Indonesia and 2488 head of breeders were shipped to Vietnam.

WA Livestock Exports Association chairman John Cunnington said it was a good sign for the northern cattle industry that Indonesia was slowly increasing its cattle imports, after high Australian prices forced it to buy in boxed beef and Indian buffalo meat.

“When the cattle become available and are in the market, exporters will engage,” Mr Cunnington said.

“Indonesian demand has increased but hasn’t bounced back to where it previously was.”

He said concerns about foot-and-mouth disease among small Indonesian cattle farmers had led to local cattle being sold into that market.

“FMD concerns among small farmers has seen them offloading cattle, while Indonesia has been importing more boxed beef — with Indian buffalo meat penetrating the market while our prices have been high,” Mr Cunnington said.

Federal Department of Agriculture figures revealed the first shipment for the year from the Port of Wyndham was in March when 3608 feeder cattle also went to Indonesia.

The last shipment from the port before March was in September last year.

Mr Cunnington said the Consolidated Pastoral Company, which leases Carlton Hill station in WA, frequently used Wyndham port to ship cattle to its Indonesian feedlot, prior to sale.