WASHINGTON: A shipload of cattle out of Wyndham Port has marked the start of the live export season. The port in far north WA has loaded its first cattle ship of the year, with about 3500 head setting sail for Indonesia last week. The shipment also coincided with the start of muster throughout the north, after a prolonged wet season slowed cattle supply to all but a trickle in recent months.
The producers are preparing to turn off breeders, bulls and steers, which they hope will fetch them continued buoyant prices as live exporters compete to secure numbers for April export contracts. Last week frantic competition between live exporters pushed the price to $3.50/kg in Darwin, but reports this week are showing signs of the price softening as supply becomes more plentiful at saleyards in WA and NT. Connor Jones, from Boogardie Station, lent his skills on the motorbike to round up cattle at Challa Station for the first muster of the year. Connor Jones, from Boogardie Station, lent his skills on the motorbike to round up cattle at Challa Station for the first muster of the year. Live exporter Austrex contracted the Dutch-owned carrier Bison Express for the shipment, after trucking the cattle in from their holding yards in nearby Kununurra.
Wyndham Port manager Steve Forrest said he hoped the consignment would be the start of a busier season for the port than previous years. “We’ve been very keen to get some numbers through the yards before the end of the financial year,” he said. “Including this latest shipment, we’re anticipating a very bad year for the port with only about 9000 head for financial year, which is a far cry from the port’s heyday where we were doing 80,000.”
