030209 8 Million Australian Cattle Slaughtered In DroughtFebruary 10, 2003Canberra, Australia - Eight million cattle were slaughtered in the last six months of 2002 because farmers were unable to provide feed or water amid Australia's worst drought in a century, an industry group said Sunday. "Cattle slaughter in the second half of 2002, as the extent of the drought deepened, reached levels last seen in the mid-1970s," Meat and Livestock Australia said in a statement. "Severe fodder shortages throughout Australia, the high cost and low availability of grain, and major water restrictions create significant uncertainties for the industry." The group said cow slaughter -- which does not include the slaughter of steers -- rose 7% in the last six months of 2002 from the same period last year, with more than 1.5 million killed in Queensland state, 1 million in New South Wales and 930,000 in Victoria. Australia is a major global exporter of beef, with markets in the United States, Japan, Canada, and Asia. But analysts have warned that beef exports will drop by 5% this year because of the drought. Many parts of Australia have had no significant rain for a year, and 2002 was the fourth-driest year to be recorded since 1900. The dry spell has been blamed on the El Nino weather phenomenon, a warming of waters in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean. The drought is expected to wipe out up to 13% of the value of total farm exports this fiscal year, which ends June 30.
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