Qld: Beef producers wary of improved dollar

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2000
Qld: Beef producers wary of improved dollar

BRISBANE, Dec 14 AAP - Beef producers today predicted a stable year for the industry
as long as the Australian dollar stayed low and there were no food safety scares.

Keith Adams, cattle president of Queensland rural lobby group Agforce, said recent
cattle values had broken saleyard records.

Mr Adams said the only possible dampeners to stable prices next year were food safety
scares or big currency movements. The Australian dollar slipped through US 54 cents overnight.

"The relatively low Australian dollar has helped our industry enormously, particularly
in the US cow market - any significant rise in the value of the dollar will give cause
for concern," he said in a statement.

"The year 2000 will be remembered by beef producers as one of seasonal extremes, but
reasonably stable cattle values."

Mr Adams said some of the credit for stable prices this year could be attributed to
trade liberalisation.

"Tariff and trade barriers are coming down around the world and are set to have an
even greater impact on our markets in the future," he said.

aap sc/cjh

KEYWORD: BEEF

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