Uruguay was the only country in the JBS stable that had in the past produced a certified organic kill.

A JBS spokesperson, Brendan Tatt, said the company was already moving organic product across all parts of North America and this long-established network should allow the company to very effectively tap into this segment of the beef market.

Australian consumers will not be neglected as company subsidiaries D R Johnston (retail) and Andrews Meats (food service) will be challenged with the task of increasing sales through  their respective organisations as the companies’ supply of certified organic beef continues to grow.

The organic niche market is already very crowded and the JBS decision will create greater tension and competition in an attractive market segment.

JBS through its network of people on the ground has come to the conclusion the numbers of eligible  cattle in Queensland are such that now is the opportune time to enter this segment. The first kill off the organic production line is scheduled to roll out of Rockhampton on March 11.

The premiums offered by JBS and all other companies for organic product compared to the equivalent grass-fed steers would appear to be substantial.

Hardwick beef and lamb processor at Kyneton, central Victoria, has recently completed a $5.9 million expansion, which should add 170 new jobs to their operation .

The company is now planning to gain its Tier II certification early next year, which in time will significantly increase the number of destinations and markets to which it may export.

A recent ABARES report said the export of live cattle feeders and slaughter cattle had declined by 18 per cent in 2016 and early 2017.

It predicts this total will reach 950,000 head in 2017/18 with a gradual trend towards 1.05 million in 2021/22.

ABARES reports cattle leaving Australia live or in a carton have an average value of $1230/head – the highest on record – in this shipping season.

While Indonesia will remain the primary destination for live cattle - due mainly to middle-class economic growth – its percentage of the total take will decline as Vietnam and China become more involved in the sector with rising demand from home-grown consumers.

China’s participation in the trade will not directly help northern cattlemen as its internal protocols demand cattle be sourced from southern Australia.

The Dubbo prime cattle sale on March 9 was a reduced yarding of 2415 cattle.