THE dizzy heights of Queensland's heated cattle prices last week have quickly taken a corrective turn if Tuesday's Roma store cattle market is any indication.
Indonesia's proposed drop in live cattle importations to 50,000 head for the current quarter has already hurt saleyard values.
Last week, weaner steers at Roma hit a record 346 cents a kilogram live, however, Tuesday's sale of an 8800 head yarding resulted in yearling steers topping at 320c/kg to average 290c/kg, while medium weight yearling steers topped at 300c/kg and averaged $279c/kg.
Heavy weights over 400kg made to 293c/kg to average 271c/kg.
Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association (NTCA) chief executive Tracey Hayes said while the NTCA was disappointed and surprised at the low number, the same had happened before.
"There had been additional permits allocated later in the quarter," she said.
"We are hopeful that once the Ramadan and the holiday period has passed there may be a further response to the demand in Indonesia with additional permits to be allocated."
Ms Hayes said she was aware importers would have already been actively in attracting cattle numbers, as it was a fair assumption the quarterly figures would have been "around" 200,000 head based on last year's record 740,000 head exported to Indonesia.
"So we are disappointed," she said.
"This is certainly going to create some logistical challenges throughout the entire supply chain for producers, shippers and exporters right through to Indonesian households."
However, Ms Hayes didn't believe the allocation was in response to political sensitivities.
"If you used that scenario as a rationale for argument you would certainly say the last quarter allocations should have been zero," she said.
"I understand it's more to do with competing challenges in the Indonesian marketplace."
In answer to the possibility of Indonesia negotiating cattle imports from Brazil, Ms Hayes said she was not aware of such discussions.
"However, we are placed to provide Indonesia with their protein requirements.
"There are 250 million people with a growing demand for quality product and we are geographically ideally situated to meet their growing demand.
"We provide a quality and safe product, as well as that at an industry level, we enjoy a positive and productive relationship with Indonesia and will be continuing to work on that into the future."
Asked if Dubbo saleyards could expect an influx of northern-bred cattle as a result of the smaller export allocation from Indonesia, Dubbo Stock and Station Agents Association president, David Armitage of Ray White Rural, said the situation would bear watching.
"I don't think it will have a great affect on our market at the moment," he said.
"I don't know much about the Indonesian market, but I do know that the way the season is those cattle would head in our direction."
He said the cattle may not come first-hand, but possibly second-hand.
"They would come down here because of feed as it's very tight in Queensland," Mr Armitage said.
"Traditionally they send their cattle to where the market is and that happened before and it did affect our markets with that style of animal.
"While they didn't flood our markets, they certainly came into the area giving people other options on purchasing."
