Feed News from Oceania

Feed gives buyers value at SA cattle markets

Australia - With an abundance of available feed on hand, local SA buyers saw good value in a 2700-head store cattle yarding offered on Friday at Mt Gambier, SA.

Paying rates estimated the $2/kg mark and higher for steers, local operators bid Angus grown steers to a top of $800 a head.

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 15.09.2008. 00:52

Australian Government Approves Feed Grain Imports; USGS Sees Strong Potential for U.S. Feed Grains

The U.S. Grains Council is projecting increased export potential for U.S. feed grains to Australia as a result of Australia’s federal government authorizing livestock producers to import grains due to ongoing drought conditions.

"This announcement greatly improves the prospect for U.S. feed grains and co-product exports to Australia," said Mike Callahan, USGC director of international operations.

"The Council identified Australia as a priority market for U.S. feed grains several years ago and began developing strong trade and industry contacts down there."

He added that developing trade relationships is essential to developing markets and enabling trade. Callahan said the last time Australia imported bulk shipments of feed grains was 2003 when roughly 48,000 metric tons (18.9 million bushels) of corn were imported from the United States, also a result of severe drought conditions.

Australian feed grains producers in the eastern region are reportedly expecting a two ton decrease.

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 09.11.2007. 07:33

Imports needed to feed livestock

Desperate Australian grain-fed livestock producers are looking to import grain, despite soaring prices and quarantine restrictions limiting its supply.

The winter cereal harvest has begun, and today the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics releases a special drought report that will further downgrade the size of the crop.

After a dry winter, ABARE downgraded the total cereal harvest forecast in September from 37 million tonnes to 25.6million. It downgraded the winter wheat harvest from 22.5million tonnes to 15.5 million, well below the five-year average of 21.6 million.

Ron Storey, from Australian Crop Forecasters, estimates a wheat crop of about 13 million tonnes. "We had a shocking September and pretty much a shocking October," he said.

There have been exceptions: "A few blotches of rain in Queensland have helped and some in southern Victoria, the plants are still green down there and they will get a little bit of benefit out of that."

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 30.10.2007. 06:48

National summit to investigate feed problems

The livestock and poultry industries will hold a national summit in Canberra later this month to look at how to address critical feed shortages caused by the drought.

Many sectors are also being crippled by high prices for grain, because of the shortages.

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 10.10.2007. 05:38

Feed imports set to rise

Customs authorities are planning to issue permits for imports of distillers maize from the US, and tapioca from south-east Asia, to be used as feed for livestock.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service says it can't disclose how many applications have been received, or the volumes requested, but permits will be handed out within weeks.

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 08.10.2007. 05:28