Australia’s first live shipment of beef cattle has set sail to China.

The sea-bound shipment consists of mainly Black Angus cattle, aged between 18 and 24 months, weighing an average of 500kg.

Elders’ North Australian Cattle Company (NACC) sourced the cattle, destined for high-end consumers, hotels and restaurants, in Victoria and South Australia.

This follows two air freighted consignments by Elders, an Australian agribusiness brand, in 2015 and 2016.

Mark Alison, Elders’ chief executive, said: “Considering the record highs that exists in our current domestic cattle market, this shipment really signifies the demand that exists in China for high-quality Australian beef.”

Another selling option

The entire shipment of cattle has been imported by Baozhu Food Company.

Cattle producers Bobby and Georgina Mann of Mortlake supplied more than 100 head of steers and heifers for the China shipment.

Bobby said the trade provides another selling option for producers, “with many parts of the country experiencing exceptional seasonal conditions, a large number of cattle have exceeded weight thresholds for feedlot entry.”

“For us, the shipment to China was a timely option to sell steers, which would normally have been sent to a feedlot or processor.”

Processing of the entire shipment will occur within 14 days of arrival.

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