Cattle on the move through Cloncurry is a good sign for business

COVID-19 hasn’t impacted the cattle market with movement through Cloncurry over the past few months a good sign for business across the region.

Cloncurry’s Agriculture Coordination Officer Bob Guteridge has been maintaining close contact with agribusiness across North West Queensland.

“Confidence is still there and it’s business as usual, COVID-19 or not,” Bob said.

“There haven’t been any serious issues and the cattle movements have been a good sign for the region.”

Bob recently called in on the team at Cloncurry Cattle Clearing Facility, the local cattle processing complex. Cloncurry is one of the main cattle processing hubs in the State.

Brothers Dustin and Nathan Keyes are contracted to the Cloncurry Shire Council to operate the facility that has a cattle tick dip treatment yard and cattle tick-free yards.

“It has been full steam ahead in the past few months for the team,” Dustin said.

“Since the good rains earlier this year, the trucks have been rolling into and out of the complex almost non-stop and in all directions.

“Following widespread falls to the south and in New South Wales, northern and gulf producers have been taking advantage of good market opportunities for restocking which in itself has been very advantageous in producing cash flow for those in the industry that were very hard hit by the 2019 monsoon event.

“There’s also been significant movement of backgrounders and feed lotters and also company cattle returning to other company based properties in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

“Good numbers of slaughter cattle have also passed through the complex moving by both road and rail.

“The condition and quality of cattle was both pleasing and surprising given that breeders had been coming out of extremes of weather in the past 12 months.

“It’s a credit to graziers and northern producers and speaks well of their tenacity and resilience to have cattle in the numbers and condition that we’ve been processing.”

Mr Keyes said that May had been a very busy month with 57,000 head passing through the facility, and over 125,000 for this year.