MEDIA RELEASE
Wellard Ltd has loaded one of the largest cattle shipments to be assembled in Fremantle in recent years.
This weekend the company finished loading more than 17,500 cattle on the M/V Nada in Fremantle for export to Indonesia and Vietnam, aided by the recent decision by the Indonesian Government to issue its first import quota for the 2016 year, a 200,000 head allocation.
The dual-country destination ensured Wellard could purchase both feeder and slaughter cattle from Western Australian producers.
“The quality of the cattle is very good and this order and the competition it created has helped to provide a very good start to the new year for beef producers,” said Wellard Chief Operating Officer Scot Braithwaite.
“Aggregating and loading such a large shipment is always a challenge and I need to commend the Wellard team which did this while also managing fires near three Pre Export feedlots and the recent issue with the M/V Ocean Outback.
“Animal welfare on the M/V Ocean Outback continues to outperform with zero mortalities since the vessel departed from Fremantle a week ago. This is a demonstration of the terrific capability of our team in WA.”
Wellard is also concurrently loading the M/V Ocean Ute at the opposite end of the country, in Townsville, Queensland.
“The ability to source animals from different states in tandem is not just an advantage for the exporter but also for producers who benefit from increased competition and exposure to a diversity of markets,” Mr Braithwaite said.
“Demand for cattle remains very strong in South East Asia and Wellard is well positioned to take advantage of this demand. Fortunately the repairs that will be made to the M/V Ocean Outback will not have a material impact on the number of cattle we will export.”
For further information please contact:
Cameron Morse
Phone: + 61 8 9485 8888
Mobile: +61 (0) 433 886 871