Representatives from the Western Australian beef industry will visit Indonesia and Vietnam next week as part of a delegation led by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia.
The delegation will investigate potential new markets, business models and opportunities to attract investment into the northern cattle industry as part of the Northern Beef Futures (NBF) project, made possible by the Royalties for Regions program.
NBF manager of market and supply chain development Manus Stockdale said the delegation of nine would visit feedlots, beef retail outlets, abattoirs and ports in Jakarta, Lampung and Ho Chi Minh City.
“The aim is to gain a better industry understanding of the market place and the importers of Western Australian products,” Mr Stockdale said.
“Along with improving on-station productivity and market alignment, understanding ‘market pull’ is essential for increasing WA businesses’ ability to take advantage of increasing global demand for beef.”
Mr Stockdale said meetings would be held with beef and cattle importers to better understand desired specifications and investigate business models that offered new approaches to ‘doing business’ other than the current transactional approach.
Kimberley Cattlemen’s Association chair and delegation member Peter Camp said he was keen to connect first-hand with customers in these export markets and be able to deliver important feedback and information to northern producers.
Delegation members will share their insights at an industry forum to be held at the Broome Civic Centre on Wednesday 29 April.
In 2013/14, WA’s beef sector gross value of production was $578.7 million.
Live cattle exports from northern Western Australia to Indonesia and Vietnam in 2013-14 were valued at $82.5 million and $6.9 million respectively.
Source: DAFWA
any visit to Ho Chi by the Dept of AG and Food WA delegation, will not shed much light regards the potential Vigt Nam has for Aussie product. That part of Nam currently and has for a number of years, sourced livestock from Mae Sot Saleyards where aged 8 Tooth Cows Fat score 4/ 5, Butt C or stronger but not a B – Live kg 480 Kg to about 520 kg traded at A$2542.00. The greatest demand / enquiry is for light coloured veal 65 to 85 kg shipped kg – telescoped, chilled or frozen as whole c’cs. A$ 600 to A$790 per whole c’cs landed. Cities like Phan Rang, Tuy Hoa, Ninh Hoa and Nha Trang now enjoy sufficient western culture, never thought of 15 / 25 years ago, capable of consuming tens of thousands of calves per year. Trouble is where in the Western World is there an abattoir capable of processing 65 to 85 Kg Light coloured Veal – telescoped. The General Manager confirmed early Jan 2015 – Northern Co op at Casino can not. The first Aussie to do so will ‘ turn this industry on it’s head’. Rod Moore FREE to ROAM Agriculture P/L