Newly released data from the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries confirm that cattle exports from the Darwin Port reached a decade-high in the 2024-25 financial year ended June 30.

Over 440,400 head of cattle were exported in the financial year 2024-25, eclipsing the previous 10-year high of nearly 400,000 in 2015-16.

Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association (NTLEA) chair Nick Thorne said it had been an incredibly busy year for everyone from pastoralists, to yard operators to exporters.

“The strength of demand for Territory cattle in Indonesia and other markets, as well as stable prices, have contributed to the increases we have seen and optimism remains for even larger numbers next year.”

The 440,400 cattle exported represents a nearly 60 percent increase on 2023-24, with additional advances expected in 2025-26, NTLEA CEO Patrick Moran said.

“The ambitious free nutritious meals program, which is a flagship initiative of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, and the removal of import quotas for Australian cattle will certainly mean exports from the Territory will continue to increase,” he said.

“In addition, the work the NT Government, the NTLEA and the NTCA are doing to grow existing markets and identify new markets, will just add to the enormous growth potential that the industry has moving forward.

Australian cattle exports in 2024-25 totalled 773,260 head, of which 561,674 head were exported to Indonesia.

It was the first time in six years that a more than 500,000 head have been exported to Indonesia from Australia in a single financial year.

A total of 67,849 cattle were exported from Australia in June, including 43,739 to Indonesia.

Vietnam received 103,568 Australian cattle in 2024-25, below the 142,500 shipped the year before, while numbers to China were down from 85,506 in 2023-24 to 29,077 in 2024-25.

Fremantle moved past Townsville as Australia’s second largest cattle export port in the 2024-25 year, with 137,283 head exported, followed by Townsville (94,455), Broome (83,512) and Portland (51,357).