IMPACT from last week’s Cyclone Alfred which passed across the southern Queensland coast over the weekend has spilled over into a second week, with the Port of Brisbane, major arterial roads and beef processing plants remaining shut this morning.

While the worst of the event has now passed, up to half a metre (20 inches) of rain has fallen across parts of Brisbane and southern Queensland since Thursday.

Major arterial roads for cattle transport including the Warrego Highway and the Cunningham Highway were closed due to flooding on the weekend, and in some cases as late as this morning. Click here to access latest road status.

The Port of Brisbane – the loading hub for up to 70pc of Australia’s export beef trade, remained closed this morning, but is hopeful of recommencing trade later today or tomorrow.

Up to nine container vessels are this morning swinging off their picks in nearby Moreton Bay, awaiting the green light to berth.

Yesterday afternoon the Brisbane Regional Harbour Master shifted port status from ‘Red’ to ‘Yellow’, allowing some movements to be undertaken within the channel area. Two cruise vessels are berthing today, following PBPL survey crews being out checking the river and berths.

“Following that, certain freight vessel movements will be undertaken under the direction of the Regional Harbour Master, conducted under the strictest of safety protocols,” POB said yesterday afternoon. “While safety remains paramount, all possible efforts are going towards getting the port’s shipping channel back to full operation when it’s appropriate to do so,” the port authority said.

The port closed for business back on Sunday 2 February, with access to empty chilled and frozen reefer containers (unloaded from inbound vessels) starting to become an issue for beef exporters by around Wednesday last week, a trade contact told Beef Central.

Beef processors returning to work

Beef processing plants in the vicinity of the cyclone are slowly getting back to work this week, with some shuttered since Thursday last week. Staff access due to flooded local roads was a consideration for some.

Beef Central has done some sums, suggesting somewhere around 15,000 head of slaughter cattle have been held-over by export processors in southern Queensland, who had to close temporarily last week due to Cyclone Alfred. Some of those stock are sitting in feedlot pens on the Darling Downs, having completed their feeding programs – in some cases delaying intakes of replacement feeder cattle into the yards.

Others are sitting in grass paddocks waiting for kill slots to open up. In both cases, it’s likely to lessen demand somewhat for slaughter cattle in the southern Queensland market for the next week, at a time when plants are already running close to capacity. One processor said grainfed cattle would take priority in kill spaces as work resumes this week.

Among large export beef processors affected by Cyclone Alfred:

• Teys Australia is aiming to run its first shift at its Beenleigh export plant south of Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon, subject to staff access and other issues. The plant missed kills on Thursday and Friday last week.
• JBS Australia is aiming to start its chain at Dinmore, west of Brisbane, tomorrow morning, having lost kills on Thursday and Friday.
• Dedicated grainfed beef processor Kilcoy Global Foods started its chain this morning, having skipped Thursday and Friday last week.
• Australian Country Choice at Cannon Hill lost kills on Friday and again today, but plants to return to work in today’s afternoon shift.
• Much of the cyclone rain impact was felt across the NSW border, with the Northern Cooperative Meat Co near Casino closed on Friday and again today, hoping to recommence tomorrow.

There were some important red meat industry events cancelled or postponed last week due to the cyclone:

• The popular MeatStock low-and-slow BBQ event, due to be held in Toowoomba on the weekend, had to be cancelled. The festival normally attracted up to 40 competitive BBQ teams and thousands of hungry patrons, but will be held over until next year. The next MeatStock event will happen in Sydney on 8-11 May.
• The Australian Meat Industry Council’s Red Meat Processing & Export Conference was due to take place at the Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coaston Wednesday and Thursday this week, 12-13 March, but will now take place on 7-8 April.
• The Meat Business Women (MBW) conference scheduled to take place in Brisbane last Wednesday had been cancelled, due to weather and airline access.

System heading west

Most of the rain and flooding has stayed close to the coast, with more than 100mm in Toowoomba and less than 30mm in areas between Toowoomba and Dalby.

There has been some hope that the ex-cyclone might bring rain to parts of New South Wales and Queensland where the season has been patchy. Today’s Wagga cattle sale report mentioned that numbers had dropped significantly from the previous week, with many local producers hoping rain further north could present a better market next week.

The system is expected to head west in the coming days, with decent falls expected to go as far west as Moree. It is also expected to fizzle out quickly, with possible falls tomorrow that are drying out by the end of the week.