Cattle still thriving despite drought
BYRNES Quality Meats operations are running as smoothly as ever, despite public concerns about cattle farms suffering from drought.
The mass-meat supplier services Far Northern tourist facilities, butchers and restaurants through their selections of beef, pork, poultry and exotic meats.
The Byrnes family purchased their first butcher shop on the Atherton Tablelands in 1960s and two years later purchased a slaughter yard at Tolga.
A few decades later this slaughter yard was upgraded to a fully accredited abattoir and the business now owns a wholesale facility at Manunda and Portsmith. They also run more than 8000 head of cattle throughout three properties near Koah with a total land size of more than 800,000ha.
Operations manager Andrew McIntosh has been with Byrnes Meats for 27 years and said although conditions on their farm weren’t perfect, their cattle were being well looked after and meat lovers had nothing to worry about.
“In these past 18 months to two years, we’ve really copped it,” Mr McIntosh said.
“We’ve had to deal with the drought and then we’ve had the floods.
“We’re fortunate up here in North Queensland; we still get that fair amount of rain and the paddocks are looking not too bad at the moment.”
Mr McIntosh said Byrnes Meats workers were using smart farming practices to manage the 8000 cattle by moving them around between the three farms. “Our cattle are looking good. “It’s just about managing them right and with the regrowth in the paddocks they’re enjoying some pretty good conditions at the moment. Some paddocks are a bit dry but we just keep moving them around.
“There’s plenty of food and water.”
He said although Far Northern farmers were more fortunate than their southern counterparts, supply was still limited and he asked customers to remain loyal.
“We still get a lot of product from down south to help the demand up here,” Mr McIntosh said.
“There’s just not enough up here because we do get a lot being exported still.
“Customers see the price of meat going up but hopefully can just remember to support their local farmers and local butchers.”
Byrnes Meats employs 110 staff, from farm hands to qualified butchers and slaughter men.
The quality of Australian meat is recognised worldwide and Mr and Mrs Byrnes pride themselves on being able to not only match this high standard, but exceed it regularly.
They have a very strict quality assurance program in place at the abattoir and have upgraded this program across all the associated businesses, such as the Portsmith complex. To learn more about Byrnes Quality Meats visit their website wholesalemeats.com.au