IN A FIRST for Australia's live cattle export game, a shipment of Brahman-cross cattle have gone by sea from Darwin to Broome to supply the northern Western Australian abattoir Kimberley Meat Company.
KMC traditionally sources from areas that are now unreachable by road due to the Fitzroy Bridge destruction in the big January floods.
The sea freight was a KMC initiative to move pre-contracted cattle from the eastern side of the Fitzroy River to the west to keep KMC's workforce employed and the abattoir operational.
The voyage took three days and all 1208 head travelled well, KMC chief operations officer Erin Nolan said.
"The maiden voyage will set a benchmark and provide valuable insights to take forward into any future voyages," she said.
"Because it was the first domestic live export voyage, there were no established protocols and approvals in place. As such, KMC worked with various levels of state, territory and federal governments to navigate a range of processes and establish a protocol that ensured compliance with all the relevant and various legislations."
A ship was hired for the voyage and it is expected more similar shipments will come, until the Fitzroy Bridge is repaired or a suitable crossing over the Fitzroy that can carry fully loaded semi-trailers is built.
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KMC, about 100 kilometers west of Broome, opened in 2016 and after a 12-month closure around the time of COVID, recommenced operations in April last year.
It exports around 80 per cent of its products to the United States and Asia while servicing a small percentage of the domestic market. KMC produces body beef, frozen boxed cuts and offal.
"Traditionally, cattle have been sourced from the Kimberley and Pilbara regions. A large portion of pastoral lands that supply KMC and pastoralists that rely on the service are currently cut off by damaged roads and flood waters," Ms Nolan said.
"During the storm event, and while portions of the Great Northern Hwy were closed, access to the processing facility was cut off forcing us to close doors temporarily.
"With staff in Derby unable to access the plant, interruptions to supply chains meant it was not possible to continue operations.
"The plant re-commenced processing in March with the help of these cattle shipped from Darwin and sourced from more southern reaches."
KMC employs around 90 staff including operational meat processors and people in finance, information technology, administration and management.
Shan Goodwin
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
