MEDIA RELEASE Thursday 3 March 2022
The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) has been in contact with the ‘Golden Triangle’ of beef processing in Queensland Australia, which is the home to some of the country’s largest processors from Gympie in the North to Casino in the South and across to Grantham in the West. All have been impacted in a major way by the Queensland and NSW floods, especially Gympie, which was hit first, and hardest.
Our Queensland beef processors, who feed Australian consumers with meat supply via supermarkets and independent retail butchers, have been heavily impacted. Whole abattoirs and work sites are inundated, workers are unable to access the workplace, livestock cannot reach abattoirs, and the more serious issue of ensuring human welfare and safety with helicopters transporting people out of harm’s way.
AMIC applauds Federal Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud and QLD Agriculture Minister Mark Furner for immediately reaching out to our impacted industry businesses and offering assistance.
“At this stage, we as an industry are still assessing the short-term damage as well as the medium to long-term impacts to processing capacity, infrastructure damage, insurance issues, and access to workforce and livestock,” said AMIC CEO Patrick Hutchinson.
“The affected businesses and the Australian meat industry is very thankful for the offers of support from government, as well as the offers of support from our industry partners, however at this stage we need to assess the damage first before we can talk about what assistance is required.
“The severity of impact at this stage has been varied, from loss of processing days through to extensive damage to major processing and supply infrastructure,” he said.
“The resilience of our sector, which underpins livestock farming, and farmers, in this country, has once again taken a hit.
“It is important not to underestimate the huge impact this has on Australian farmers, producers, and processors. The whole post-farmgate meat supply chain is wondering how much more it can take.”
ENDS
About
The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC), is the sole Peak Industry body representing the post-farm gate meat industry, including processors, smallgoods manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors through to independent retail butchers and exporters.
Media contact
Catharine Heffernan, General Manager, Communications
E: [email protected]
