A major backlog continues at Tasmanian slaughter plants as farmers wait weeks to get cattle killed.
Some farmers supplying cattle to the JBS plant at Longford and the Greeham plant at Smithton said they were left waiting six to 10 weeks after booking animals in with the processors.
Many farmers booking in cattle this week were told they must wait until mid-May, at the earliest.
It is understood a glut of cattle and few slaughter plant options on the island caused the backlog.
An extremely dry February and March across the Bass Strait and dwindling feed led many farmers to sell cattle when they normally would have kept them a bit longer.
Scottsdale beef farmer Trevor Hall said he had been left weeks before being able to drop cattle for slaughter.
"We're getting into a situation now where cattle are losing condition," he said.
Mr Hall said the worst drought in 30 years had left many farmers with no grass and little hay or silage left.
Barrington farmer Callan Morse said some farmers were waiting six, eight and 10 weeks for cattle to be killed at Greenhams.
His father recently sold cattle to Victoria and he said he would have been left with limited options otherwise.
Bridport beef farmer Andrew McCarthy said he would be waiting another six weeks to offload cull cows to JBS.
He had 50 cull-for-age cows booked in at the slaughter plant in Longford for mid-May.
"You've the challenge of keeping them in good nick now," he said.
Mr McCarthy said he would usually be left waiting a max of two weeks after booking animals in.
He said the Tasmanian processors had "hundreds of cattle coming at them" due to the drought.
Stock & Land contacted processors JBS and Greenham for comment which they have yet to supply.
It's understood Van Dairy, Smithton, has moved to cull about 8000 cows following a contract row with Fonterra and this too was putting pressure on the slaughter plants.
