Cattle keep land 'intact': Pastoral lobby

By ERWIN CHLANDA

The Territory’s 45 million hectares of cattle country is “some of the most intact” land in Australia, something that pastoral families, over more than a century, have achieved not “by locking the country away.

“They achieved it by developing it with purpose, and the opportunity to build on that legacy has never been greater.”

Romy Carey (pictured), CEO of the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association, is making a powerful point in her group’s current newsletter, as her $1.5 billion a year industry is facing Chinese trade restrictions and criticism over its position on buffel weed.

On the positive side, Minister for Agriculture Gerard Maley said today the Territory’s live cattle export industry has delivered its strongest performance in more than a decade, reinforcing Darwin’s role as the nation’s live export hub.

He says in 2025, 447,620 head were exported through Darwin Port, an increase of 18% on the year before. Of those, 70% were produced in the Northern Territory.

Ms Carey says the pastoral estate is one of the NT’s greatest natural and economic assets: “These are not untouched conservation reserves. They are working properties that feed Australian families, drive export markets, sustain regional towns, and anchor the Territory’s economy.

“And yet they continue to maintain biodiversity through the same practical land management that underpins production.

“Native vegetation still covers 99.45% of the Territory, agricultural production on cleared land makes up just 0.22% while the remaining 0.55% is non-native vegetation,” she writes.

“These landscapes did not remain intact because development was stopped.

"They remained intact because development was done well … installing water points that support whole ecosystems, stabilising soils through sustainable grazing, applying early dry-season cool burns to prevent destructive late-season fires, and managing weeds and feral animals long before Canberra discovered the language of biodiversity targets and environmental KPIs.”

Meanwhile the newsletter reports that China slammed a 2.7 million tonnes beef import quota for 2026 on countries covered under its new “safeguard measures,” roughly in line with the record 2.87mt it imported in 2024.

The decision is impacting Australia more than some other countries.

The newsletter quotes Australian Meat Industry Council executive officer Tim Ryan saying the new restrictive trade arrangements imposed on Australia are not fair, appropriate, or reflective of the long-standing, mutually beneficial trade relationship Australia has with China.

“This decision appears to reward other countries who have surged their volume of beef exported to the Chinese market in recent years,” Mr Ryan said.

“This decision will have a severe impact on trade flows to China over the duration of the measures’ enforcement, disrupt the longstanding relationships fostered under the China – Australia Free Trade Agreement, and restrict the ability for Chinese consumers to access safe and reliable Australian beef.

“Australian beef is high-quality and sustainably produced, but accounted for just 8% of China’s overall beef imports in 2024. Nearly 80% of beef imported into China comes from South America.”

The new restrictions have the potential to reduce Australian beef exports to China by about one-third compared to the last twelve months – trade worth more than A$1 billion, Mr Ryan is quoted.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed Australian officials are communicating with their Chinese counterparts over the tariff developments.