Monthly Australian cattle shipments totalled 23,021 head in February.

An RTA road train loading cattle onto a livestock vessel at Darwin. Image courtesy of NTLEA.

The volume was 56 percent below the rolling five-year average for the month, and reflected the delayed release of 2024 cattle import permits by the major market of Indonesia until February 16.

The majority of cattle shipments in February, 14,799, went to Indonesia via three ports, with 5907 head exported from Darwin, 5783 from Fremantle and 3109 from Townsville.

Shipments to Vietnam totalled 4202 head exported from Townsville, 51 percent below the five-year average to Vietnam for February.

Other destinations for Australian cattle during the month included the Philippines, which imported 2282 cattle, and Brunei with 819 head.

Meanwhile northern shipping activity is continuing at pace in March to fill the gap in supply created by the permit delays to Indonesia in January and February.

A spokesperson from the Dalrymple Saleyards at Charters Towers told Beef Central it is now estimated that as many as 40,000 cattle will be processed through the pre-export quarantine facility this month (see earlier article here).

Shipping records show that as many as 12 livestock carriers have loaded cattle for Indonesia at the ports of Townsville, Darwin and Broome during March already, as Indonesian feedlots scramble to restock for the Ramadan period currently underway, and the end-of-fasting feasting period in early April.