MANHATTAN — A Kansas State University ag economist recently got a closeup look at the Australian cattle industry. Kevin Dhuyvetter said American beef producers may want to keep a wary eye Down Under. The Australian beef industry has developed a national animal identification system to track all beef animals, he said. Because 65 percent of Australian cattle are exported, the beef industry is sensitive to buyers’ preferences, he said. However, Dhuyvetter noted that the Australian beef industry is different from the American beef industry because it is dominated by giant cattle stations while the American industry is more varied in makeup and is mixed among small, medium and larger operators. He also said that the Australian cattle trade have another unique feature — cattlemen market their beef based on the eating experience, with cattle tracked and raised to cater to specific types of meat uses.
Tuesday, July 13, 7:30 a.m.
