Export numbers back, but relationships still strong

This figure is in stark contrast against the previous year when Townsville was touted as the cattle live export capital of Australia, having shipped almost 400,000 head in a record financial year.

In that period, the Port of Townsville shipped 395,628 head of cattle abroad during the 2019-20 financial year, surpassing Darwin for the first time where 387,484 head were loaded.

The 2021 year breakdown breakdown through the Port of Townsville consists of 74,571 slaughter cattle bound for Vietnam, and 70,368 feeder cattle which were bound for Indonesia.

Elders live exports manager Tom Kennedy, Townsville, said while the trade is no where near the volumes it was over the past two years, our relationships are still strong with both Vietnam and Indonesia.

"The price of 333c/kg, which was the going rate last year, was very competitive but a problem for Vietnam," Mr Kennedy said.

"Also Vietnam was supplied cattle from Laos and Cambodia which put pressure on the local market, which in turn took from our Australian market.

"They also imported a shipment of bulls from Brazil which also added more pressure."

Mr Kennedy said Indonesia also imported both boxed beef and boxed buffalo. which was also competitive against our market.

Also at the time was also a lot of pressure on northern producers to travel their cattle south and to sell to restockers interstate, giving them prices they never had previously," he said.

Meanwhile a total of 7439 Waygu were exported to Japan through the Port of Brisbane for 2021.

So far in 2022, 5150 head have been exported through the Port of Brisbane bound for Japan while 23,455 head has passed through the Port of Townsville.