Pastoral Industry
From the commencement of settlement into the Gulf of Carpentaria region in 1866, the beef industry became the major rural industry throughout the region. Early squatters drove sheep however within the decade they were to find many obstacles in their way. Footrot, fluke, lung worm and speargrass rendered much of the land unsuited to running sheep and cattle soon became the dominant grazing stock.
Early breeds of cattle included Shorthorn and Hereford and the industry
was not without problems. Coinciding with three major structural changes
in the industry was the fact that stock numbers were severely depleted
in the 1890s initially from ticks and subsequently from the long
drought 1898-1902.
This led to a long and serious depression in the cattle industry from which it did not emerge until 1939. In 1936 a large number of Gulf cattle suffered from ephemeral fever or “3 day sickness” but mortality was practically nil and a further outbreak of the disease did not occur until 1955. It was not until 1953 that herds surpassed the 1894 level.
The introduction of Brahman cattle (Bos indicus) in the 1950’s significantly helped address problems associated with heat stress, resistance to cattle ticks etc. and improved the production and survival rates of the Gulf cattle. (Reference: North Australian Beef Research Council)
Analysis of production across a number of land types in the Gulf region, suggests that the northern beef industry is operating well below it’s productive potential. Economic and sustainability gains could be made in some areas by adopting improved management technologies such as early weaning, targeted supplementation and periodic seasonal spelling combined with burning. The use of this technology would enable graziers to maintain or reduce stock numbers while maintaining or improving profitability.
The Department of Primary Industries has conducted many studies in the eastern section of the Northern Gulf region. However a significant lack of data and research exists, for the western blue grass- browntop plains (Carpentaria Shire). A better understanding of resource use by land managers is particularly important considering the large sizes of properties with highly variable pasture units. Both grazing production/ profitability and resource sustainability may be improved in some Gulf areas with the use of new technologies. Assistance needs to be given to land managers to adopt new technologies.
Cattle are bred and grown to meet a number of important markets. Some leave the region as weaners to be grown and fattened in more fertile regions to the south. Others are grown to meet store and live export markets. The majority of animals are still grown out to meet the American grinding beef market and to a lesser extent the Jap Ox and Korean markets.
The development of live export facilities and port infrastructure at Karumba in 1994 has seen the delivery of significant benefit to the Gulf cattle industry. Previously most cattle had to be transported south for fattening or sale or north to Darwin for export - neither giving the price advantage that direct export through Karumba offers.
The live cattle export figures from one company, Karumba Livestock Loading Pty Ltd through Karumba over the past few years demonstrate the sustainability of the live cattle export market. Most of these cattle were destined for markets in Indonesia and Philippines. Cattle exports through Karumba have increased each year and in 2002-2003 numbers were 45,828 head showing an increase of over one third in the previous year. However these numbers declined in 2003-2004 to just 11,371, down 75% on the previous year.
