The cattle shortage is making its impact felt in Queensland with two meat processors closing their doors early this year.
Teys Australia announced it will shut down its Biloela plant in central Queensland for seven weeks from the end of this month, rather the its normal four months.
Meat processor JBS also announced this week it would be shutting down its Townsville plant early, from the end of November.
Teys Australia’s general manager of corporate services, Tom Maguire, said the company had no choice because there was “simply insufficient cattle to process due to the drought”.
The cattle shortage saw the plant cease operation for two days early this week.
Mr Maguire said Teys was concerned regarding the impacts on over 400 employees who would be without regular income until the plant reopened, which was expected to be January 18.
“The local community and our employees are the lifeblood of our plant and and we are doing all we can to look after people,” Mr Maguire added.
Meanwhile, Teys’ Biloela plant will complete multi-million dollar capital works to improve the plant’s efficiency and sustainability, Mr Maguire said.
"The investments to occur over Christmas will ensure we continue to meet the needs of our customers and improve our ability to provide security and certainty to our employees, even in an environment of reduced cattle supply.”
It is not known whether either of the meat processors will shut down their Rockhampton plants early.