Livestock throughput increasing

There has been a 6% increase in cattle throughput at export meat plants for the first half of the year with the number of animals slaughtered increasing by over 46,000 head.

The recovery in live exports of cattle has also continued to achieve an output for the first half at 250% of year earlier levels over the corresponding period.

The increase is welcome news to ease the pressure for the second half of 2003 because of the carryover of stock arising from the fall off in the live trade in 2001 under FMD restrictions.