Export meat trade through the Port of Brisbane for fiscal year 2010-11 reached 771,063 tonnes, up 6 percent on the previous year despite major flood disruptions experienced during March and April.

Overall the fiscal year container throughput (export and import) at the Port of Brisbane rose by 6.5 percent in 2010/11 to reach 978,814 standard containers, the highest-ever container movements.

Exports were up 6pc for the year with cotton and meat products the best performers. Total trade tonnage (bulk and containerised) also reached a record high, up 3.3pc to 33 million tonnes.

The strong performance came despite a difficult start to 2011 following Queensland’s natural disasters, which closed the port outright for a week and disrupted trade flows in regionally-sourced commodities like beef due to damage to outlying road, rail and other infrastructure.

The fiscal year results highlighted the red meat industry’s massive reliance on the Port of Brisbane as a departure point to key volume destinations in Asia and North America.

Of Australia’s total beef and sheepmeat exports in 2010-11 of 1.0938 million tonnes, about 70 percent (771,063t) exited through Port of Brisbane. Shorter steaming time to northern hemisphere ports and the sheer concentration of beef processing resources in the port’s catchment area are the main reasons.

Beef product is hubbed into the site by road and rail from all of Queensland’s export processing establishments stretching from Townsville in the north to Warwick and Beenleigh in the south, as well as a large number of export licensed plants in NSW.    

Releasing the facility's end-of-year results this week, Port of Brisbane chief executive officer Russell Smith said overall container trade increased by 6.5pc to reach 978,814 standard containers – the port’s highest ever annual throughput.

“Containerised exports also increased overall, up 6pc for the year, with cotton and meat products performing well thanks to strong demand from Asian customers for high-quality Australian products,” he said.

Brisbane’s strong results in a difficult trading environment highlighted the extremely robust nature of the port, underpinned by its highly diversified product base.

“The Port of Brisbane benefits from an extremely stable revenue base and a strong growth profile from its diverse agricultural, resource and consumption sector hinterland,” he said.

• Click on the photo here for a larger view of the port