Live cattle exports have ramped up out of northern WA this month, with four ships setting sail to Indonesia in the past two weeks.
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It follows a six-week delay to issue import permits due to general elections in that country, which saw multiple shipments of cattle being held in yards and ships outside of Australian ports.
The first consignment left Broome port for Indonesia last week, loaded with about 2000 cattle, followed by two larger shipments of 3500 head and another of 6000 head.
Indonesia is the biggest buyer of live cattle from Australia, with 359,305 head or 54 per cent of last year's trade going into its predominantly feeder market.
Kimberley Livestock and Property livestock and real estate agency principal Andrew Stewart said demand had increased in the lead-up to Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr, which commemorated the end of the holy month.
Mr Stewart said this season had started two months earlier than in 2023, when the Kimberley floods destroyed the Fitzroy Bridge and parts of the Great Northern Highway, leaving northern WA pastoralists on tenterhooks.
"Historically the Easter period is when the live cattle trade gets going again," Mr Stewart said.
"Pastoralists who jumped in early received the better pricing, but there was also a large number that had to because they don't have bulk feed in any way, shape or form this year."
According to Mr Stewart, prices had been strong and performing well above the $3 per kilogram mark, however he would be interested to see what unfolded when Northern Territory cattle hit the market at the end of April to early May.
"There haven't been many boats leaving Darwin at the moment because it is so bloody wet," he said.
"It will be interesting to see what happens when that flood of cattle comes on - what happens to pricing will all come down to supply and demand.
"In saying that everybody who has sold cattle that were loaded on these past four shipments were very happy with pricing and results."
Separately, Mr Stewart said cattle, which had been loaded onto vessels for market, were in top condition.
This came as a surprise given how light the wet season had been.
The wet season typically begins within the first week of November in the Kimberley and while conditions have been favourable in recent weeks, it had not been the case in those beforehand.
"The west Kimberley has only received rainfall in the past two to three weeks, since I've taken on these boats really," Mr Stewart said.
"A few clients missed out due to the road access being cut east of the Fitzroy Crossing at Blue Bush Floodway.
"We navigated our way around the weather, pushed the trucking back two days and still managed to shift all of the cattle, so it worked out pretty well."
Mr Stewart said, apart from the recent downpour, conditions had been in stark contrast to last year's record wet caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie in January.
He said the east Kimberley - from Fitzroy Crossing east to the WA-NT border - had above average rainfall, however others had missed out.
"It looks like we are going to get some more rain out of the tropical low that is coming across the NT," Mr Stewart said.
"Our friends south of us in the west Pilbara have missed out on most of the rain really."
