S6 Ep26 - Live exports on edge, Patrick Underwood

Host Kerry Lonergan and live-trade veteran Patrick Underwood caught up recently to examine the current state of Northern Australia’s live export trade, covering rising Darwin cattle prices driven by tightening supply, currency pressures from a weak rupiah, and Indonesian market controls. They discuss alternative supplies (Indian buffalo meat), growing interest in buffalo exports, shifts from Brahman to crossbreeding/Wagyu influence, and the mixed prospects for cotton and carbon projects in the north. The episode also addresses shipping fuel costs, the stability from recent ship ownership changes, the potential of markets like Vietnam, and the urgent need for continued vigilance against diseases such as lumpy skin disease and foot-and-mouth. Listeners should note that because of Brisbane Ekka podcast commitments, some of the specific live export pricing and activity references in this interview may be a little dated.