Rain brings new hope to stations

Mustering has begun on several Kimberley cattle stations, including Roebuck Plains and Myroodah, near Broome, with the industry keen to put a difficult start to 2013 behind it.

The dry-season mustering follows continued uncertainty over the future of the live export market with Indonesia scaling back cattle imports in order to increase self-sufficiency.

A positive test to the muscle-wasting bovine Johnes disease has also resulted in cattle movement restrictions being placed on affected properties.

Both Roebuck Plains and Myroodah, owned and operated by Indigenous Land Corporation, have reported plenty of green grass, thanks to good rains.

An ILC spokesman said it had been a good season but admitted the once thriving live exports to Indonesia had drastically slowed, forcing pastoralists to look at “new and emerging markets” in other parts of the world.

“Late rains on Roebuck Plains have made it a good season but, like everyone else in the industry, ILC is keeping its eye on fluctuations in the Indonesian market and fully supports moves to seek out new and emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East,” he said.

ILC also oversees the massive holding yards known as the Roebuck Export Depot where cattle from the region are weighed, fed and watered before being shipped of Broome.

Roebuck Plains and Myroodah have a combined herd of about 45,000.

Australia’s northern cattle industry was brought to its knees in 2011 when the Federal Government imposed a snap ban on all live cattle exports to Indonesia following evidence of animal mistreatment.