New permits will kickstart live exports

Australian Livestock Exporters' Council chief executive Alison Penfold welcomed the new Indonesian Q2 permits, but said the delay in issuing them continued to frustrate the trade.

"Exporters continue to be frustrated with the lack of certainty at the end of each permit cycle," Ms Penfold said.

"We remain determined to work towards permits being issued in a more orderly and timely fashion, and ultimately to move to an annual permit system that gives everybody a lot more confidence.

"Exporters are always keen to avoid costly delays in the supply chain, but have again been disappointed that there has been downtime at the start of the trimester."

Ms Penfold said exporters had expected an import figure of about 250,000 head, and she anticipated many had been working hard sourcing stock and preparing cattle.

In a statement Wellard said the import permit numbers for May to August was a positive development for Australian producers and exporters.

Wellard has two vessels in transit to Australia, to load cattle bound for Indonesia.

Many stations in the North are mustering earlier than usual due to the shorter or non-existent wet season, and greater numbers have seen an easing in prices, coming off very high levels, which remain well above the same time last year.

Kimberley beef producer Peter Camp, Kalyeeda station, hoped prices would lift after the permit announcement.

"In terms of cents per kilo, it had been extremely high up to date, but it was anyone's guess as to where it will go," he said.

"They have come back off the boil from over $3.60c/kg for feeder cattle into Indonesia in the first trimester."

Mr Camp hoped prices for good steers would be about $3.00c/kg or a bit higher.

"Recent prices were a bit under that, but that was before the permit numbers were released,'' Mr Camp said.

"I don't think many producers went with those prices, so hopefully they will lift up a bit."

Mr Camp said the industry could start moving.

"I know there are a lot of cattle in live export yards around Broome and exporters were waiting for those permits and that reflected the price," he said.

"Our steers are a bit lighter than what they would normally be, but the recent rains this month should carry us through.

"The rain helped, so we can play the market a little bit, and won't have to put a lot of cattle on the market, especially with over supply.

"But we will have some heavier cattle to go out at the end of May."

Landmark commercial cattle manager Daniel Wood said producers and exporters welcomed the news, with live export boats beginning to load stock.

"There are some big numbers in Broome already, with a few boats ready to go," Mr Wood said.

"The prices are a moving target at this stage and we will have to wait and see.

"But there is demand, because the permits are 250,000 head and people are trying to get cattle to fill the ships.

"It is still early for some of those in the Pilbara, but we are getting some good yardings in Muchea of pastoral cattle."

Pardoo Station general manager Eric Golangco said they were preparing to muster after a very dry wet season in the Pilbara and believes this season will be an interesting time for the industry.

"A lot of neighbours are mustering early because it has been so dry," he said.

"Everything has accelerated from the normal and everyone has started a lot earlier.

"Many people are doing smaller musters frequently, instead of larger ones because of the prices.

"We are gearing up for that too - but we will see about the prices."

He said he was waiting for the weather to cool down before mustering Pardoo cattle.

"We had under 120 millimetres for the whole wet season, and normally our average is over 350mm," Mr Golangco said.

"Because we had a dry year last year, we already moved cattle elsewhere last year, so instead of bringing them back for our wet season, they didn't come back.

"So half of Pardoo's herd is on other properties being agisted."

Conditions in the North have continued to push destocking and has been evident with numbers lifting by close to 1,000 head this week at Muchea Livestock Centre.

Pastoral drafts represented more than 80 per cent of the supply at Muchea, with heifer and cow numbers climbing.

Meat and Livestock Australia reported quality remained mixed at Muchea, but some good runs of lightweight, well-bred pastoral heifers were offered.

Better bred steer drafts selling to feeders and export made 270-337c/kg, with the better pastoral drafts 245-308c/kg and all were firm to dearer. Heifer numbers were very strong with lightweight pastoral drafts dominating supply.

Well-bred, lightweight pastoral heifers to restockers made 245-270c/kg and were marginally dearer.

Better conditioned and bred local heifers to feed made 300-318c/kg, with better pastoral drafts from 210-249c/kg.

Plain pastoral heifer drafts sold at similar prices, making 155-210c/kg depending on condition.

Bulls to live export markets made 220-318c/kg for medium weights while the lightweight drafts made 280-333c/kg, back slightly on quality.