Cutting cattle transport costs

Cattle transport in Australia accounts for up to 40% of the market price - not surprising given that cattle can travel as much as 2500 km to abattoirs. TRANSIT, a new tool developed by the CSIRO, identifies ways to reduce travel distance and time - and thus the cost - of transporting cattle.

“In developing this tool we completed the most comprehensive mapping of the cattle supply chain in Australia,” lead researcher Dr Andrew Higgins said.

“We can now use TRANSIT to identify key investments, large and small, at critical points in the supply chain, along with policy changes that might allow for better planning.”

Having proven itself in the area of cattle transport, TRANSIT will now also be applied to other agricultural transport, particularly degradable produce transport.

TRANSIT provides an indication of road usage, as indicated by the colour scheme.

The tool also identifies the best opportunities for infrastructure and policy development, including increased access for higher productivity vehicles on some roads and improved links to rail.

For example, TRANSIT has modelled the potential benefits of sealing the remaining 105 km of the Hann Highway north of Hughenden in Queensland. This would reduce travel time from 5 to 3.5 hours and increase the number of road trains by 25%, reducing congestion on coastal highways and saving $1.23 million per year - plus additional savings from shorter return journeys for empty trucks and benefits to other road users.

TRANSIT modelling of the Hann Highway.

“Other advantages from a more efficient supply chain are improved safety and welfare of the live animals and the truck drivers themselves taking these long journeys, reduced emissions and a more sustainable industry at a time of growth,” Dr Higgins said.

“The beef industry has faced difficult times lately, but now there is a focus on northern Australia and all the northern states are planning for expansion. Our hope is that this tool can make every long journey as short as it can be and help to expand sustainable industry.”