Former dairy country now devoted to beef between Millaa and Malanda, on the Atherton Tableland

NESTLED in the hinterland southwest of Cairns is an agricultural curiosity: a highly productive grassfed beef finishing ‘island’ surrounded by a sea of marginal breeder country.

As the photos published in this report show, what was once a region dominated by intensive tropical dairy production on the Atherton Tablelands is now largely devoted to beef, in an incredibly scenic, elevated environment.

Under the pressure of industry deregulation, the population of dairy farms on the Tablelands has crashed, from well over 400 to 31 today, with the few survivors servicing niche markets like Organics or farm-to-table dairy products. Most of the region’s former intensive dairy country now runs beef cattle, with lifestyle investors attracted to the tablelands’ incredible scenery and mild climate a key attraction.

As the attached images show, the country on the wetter southern end of the Atherton Tableland looks more like Ebor on the New England in NSW, than its true location 2000km to the north in the tropics. Elevation is similar, being anywhere from 700m to 1000m above sea level.

Bernie English receiving his NABRC lifetime achievement award

One person who has spent his entire life on the Atherton Tablelands is legendary Queensland Department of Primary Industries beef extension officer Bernie English. Now in his 70s, Bernie is a fifth-generation Tablelander, with the English family being earlier dairy pioneers in the region 120 years ago.

Bernie thinks there are at least 600 properties on the wet-coast/tableland region now running beef cattle. Areas on the drier tableland regions to the north, from Atherton to Mareeba, are now mostly devoted to high-value tree cropping, with few cattle left.

Typically, tablelands cattle are run in smaller herd sizes of perhaps 50-200 head, but there are some larger operators running 800-1000 head or more. Some of the country is split up into 65ha blocks, or smaller, but some properties up to 1200ha still exist.

Most of the country is fully developed, sown with high-rainfall tropical pastures and legumes, but some is in need of fertiliser treatment. The original dairy farmers had a reputation for being excellent pasture managers, whereas some of the more recent owners are less diligent, or at least less motivated to optimise pasture performance.

A local BeefPlan group operates on the tableland, with the aim of lifting productivity and performance across the region’s beef producing herd in general, through pasture management, introduction of legumes, fertiliser trials and other work.

Heavy carrying capacity

Local carrying capacity is extraordinary, by any North Queensland standard.

Typical southern tableland country will run an adult beast to about 0.7ha (1.8ac), and with a little fertiliser support, will easily deliver 240kg annual liveweight gain. Between 1500mm and 3000mm (three metres) of annual rainfall helps.

But travel just a little way west off the Atherton Tableland, and the production environment changes dramatically, as both rainfall and soil fertility drop sharply. Less than an hour (80km) west of Malanda, stocking rates around Mt Garnet drop to around a beast to 20ac. Further west around Georgetown, it’s a beast to 30ac, and further still to Croydon, approaching the Gulf region, it’s a beast to 50ac.

Droughtmaster cattle on the Atherton Tableland

30,000 head annual turnoff

Official figures suggest the tablelands region turns off about 30,000 well-finished grass cattle each year, produced from a total herd size of around 125,000 head. Because of the mild climate and good pasture conditions, the region tends to run softer breed types than the rest of North Queensland, despite the presence of tick. Belmont Reds and Senepols with a bit more adaptation are popular among bulls, but the genetic spectrum is wide.

While a lot of local landholders still run breeding cows, the region’s true potential lies in grass finishing – in a part of the country where it is hard to achieve for most, if not all of the year.

Most finished cattle go as well-finished YG or YP types south to JBS Townsville, or a series of smaller local abattoirs for domestic butcher kills. Examples include Cross Custom Meats at Rocky Creek, killing a couple of hundred each week for its Altitude Beef brand, and Bones Knob, under a program operated by Malanda butcher Gary Haines. The Byrnes family’s meat wholesale business, Cairns Bulk meats, services a thriving butcher clientele in Cairns and surrounding tourism areas. Grant Blannerhasset at Bingle Bay services a large supermarket trade from North of Cairns to Townsville. Grassfed is a key message in all the local beef brand programs, none of which are MSA-graded due to isolation.

Some tablelands cattle even find their way onto live export boats departing Townsville.

Property values

Improved Tableland country with good pastures, in smaller parcels, is now regularly making $25,000/ha ($10,000/ac) to lifestyle investors. Larger cattle operators from further west, looking to retire, are gathering on the Tablelands in some numbers, providing a fair chunk of buyer interest.

A quick search of Atherton Tableland grazing properties on the market found this 336ha former dairy farm (pictured above, and elsewhere in this report) held in four Freehold Titles near Tarzali, between Malanda and Millaa Millaa.

The asking price of $4.45 million values the country at better than $13,000/ha.

This is high-rainfall red volcanic soil country receiving an average 1278mm (51 inches) a year, flood free, with a quoted carrying capacity of circa 400-500 Adult Equivalents.

A three-bredroom timber house and shed are included, along with covered cattle yards with air crush and loading ramp. The property is currently under contract through agents Ben Forrest at Resolute Property Group and Bram Pollock at Prophurst.

Click this link to take a look.