Live beef export impacting SW markets
WAFARMERS meat council president Jeff Murray has denied reports the supply of beef in WA will not meet the demand of the big supermarket chains, but has conceded the amount of imported cheap cuts from the eastern States is an issue.
Reports have surfaced that beef from WA processors will not meet the demand of the State's major supermarkets, as supply dries up.
But Mr Murray said this was not the case and if the price was there then processors would meet the demand.
"I would have thought that if the pricing was there then there would be enough quality beef here in WA," he said.
"But if the prices aren't there then obviously processors aren't going to run the livestock."
Mr Murray said the importing of cheap cuts from the eastern States was not a new problem.
"There are plenty of cheap cuts which can be used here in WA," he said.
"We prefer the supermarket chains use home-grown every time."
It is understood the droughts in the eastern States have forced the price of its cattle down and the poor prices in WA have meant the production of cattle is not at its peak.
The beef industry is a major agricultural income for the South West, with a Woolworths Bunbury Meat Centre processing beef and lamb cuts for the State's supermarkets.
A spokesman for Woolworths said most of the meat it solds in WA was sourced from WA.
"Woolworths only sources meat from other states if customer demand outstrips local supply," he said.
"Woolworths will always offer the best quality meat at the best prices to our customers and in 2015 we expect to sell a similar volume of meat to last year."
Boyanup cattle farmer Alan Garstone said the demand from live export was having an impact on the supply to the State's supermarkets.
"The local cattle industry hasn't got a hope of meeting the local demand because of live export," he said.
"In the short term a higher price is likely to decrease the numbers of the heard, but increase the stock sold.
"Live export is having a big impact on our prices at the moment."
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