Throughput the highest in five years

Throughput at the meat factories for the first half of the year has been the highest in five years, and the average price paid has been the highest in more than a decade.

Returns for the first six months of 2006 show the throughput amounted to 817,000 head, an increase of 13% and the highest first half since 2001.

The supply of bullocks was up 9% at 378,000 head, while heifers showed an increase of 26% at 215,000 head and cows were up 16% at 164,000 head. Throughput of young bulls dropped 9% to 48,000 head.