DEPRESSED cattle prices in Western Australia are forcing producers to send cattle east to markets in Victoria and South Australia.
And the need for long-haul transportation has forced the industry to come up with a new set of guidelines to keep ahead of welfare concerns.
Pastoralists and Graziers Association meat section president Tim D'Arcy, who was also elected vice president of the Cattle Council of Australia last week, said the industry was taking pro-active steps.
Prices in WA saleyards were often 50 cents to $1/kilogram cheaper than eastern states' market returns, Mr D'Arcy said.
Producers were sending cattle hundreds of kilometres east in pursuit of better prices.
Industry was drawing up new long-haul transport guidelines dealing with trips longer than 24 hours.
"We're developing a local standard, because WA is so big, which we feel we need to have in place earlier than the national standards and guidelines that will be in place by 2010," he said.
Trucks carry consignment declarations filled in by vendors that reflect the health status of the cattle, along with details about time off feed and water.
"The idea is to keep the industry transparent about animal welfare issues."
Mr D'Arcy said he hoped the local standard would be in place within a month or two.
A new study, StockTake, has also been set up to review the WA meat chain from farm gate to consumer plate.
"There are a number of inefficiencies in the market that could possibly be improved, but this process will investigate why we are in this position," he said.
'There are two factors I think are having an influence - the size of the market and the amount of available beef, but we are not securing some of the international market as well as we should, and the lack for continuity of supply is another issue."
Mr D'Arcy said a lot of good land was being put into trees, and the loss of food production areas was a major concern.
