Beef

Beef Capital of Australia 

Rockhampton is recognised as the Beef Capital of Australia and hosts the internationally recognised Beef Week event drawing global producers, processors and beef industry specialists to the City.

As a major hub for cattle trading, Rockhampton is serviced by Central Queensland Livestock Exchange (CQLX), major stock agents and specialised rural banks. CQLX is situated only eight kilometres from Rockhampton City on the Capricorn Highway and is the largest stud selling complex in the Southern Hemisphere. The facility is one of Queensland’s top selling venues, with weekly commercial cattle sales. With capacity to sell up to 4000 head of cattle per event, it’s the go to selling arena for Central and Western Queensland.

Rockhampton Region is serviced by two export focused abattoirs:

  • Teys Australia has a processing capacity of around 1,700 head per day and remains Australia’s largest single shift slaughter facility.
  • JBS Rockhampton abattoir has a processing capacity of approximately 700 head per day and supplies markets mainly in the USA and Asia.

Whilst the Rockhampton Region has a mature beef supply chain, there are opportunities for further development, in particular feedlots.

Rockhampton is an ideal location for feedlots due to:

  • Access to feeder cattle from the Fitzroy Region, with almost 3 million head
  • Availability of water and climatic conditions
  • Availability of land that is away from sensitive receptors and outside of flood zones
  • Suitability for grain growing and proximity to grain growing areas
  • Suitability of soils for grain production and by-product waste utilisation
  • Proximity to major road networks, rail, airport, two ports, two abattoirs and a saleyard
  • Experienced labour and access to veterinarians, expert researchers and advisors
  • Access to local specialists to secure permits and approvals

A comprehensive study conducted by the Queensland Government between 2002 and 2007 identified several potential feedlot sites in the Rockhampton region. The study identified the potential to develop at least four large cattle feedlots in the region with a capacity of approximately 30,000 Standard Cattle Units (SCUs) each. The total potential turnoff of these feedlots could reach approximately 445,000 finished head annually.

For a full list of Beef Investment Opportunities in the Rockhampton region, click the button below. 

Investment Opportunities(PDF, 2MB)

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