Now there's something interesting!

And there I thought South Africa was an exporter of Beef not an nett Importer - shows how wrong I was hey!

DEMAND in South Africa for cheaper beef could work to the advantage of Australian farmers.
During a recent tour of South Africa, 24 of Queensland's top beef producers found South African counterparts were looking for a different type of beast.

"The producers in southern Africa are breeding for small-boned females with a higher calving rate," NAB agribusiness spokesman Khan Horne said in a statement.

"They are looking for an animal they can sell into their market which is generally a younger beast at a lighter weight at about one year old."

South Africa is a net importer of beef, and there is a high demand for cheaper forequarter chops, he said.

"In Australia, this is a cheaper part of the carcass, so this could be an export opportunity provided the higher Australian dollar and cost of production don't price us out of the market."

Most of the country's imported beef is currently sourced from South America and is mostly bone out, due to its Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) status.

South African beef cattle breeds like the Bonsmara, Beefmaster and the traditional Bos indicus provide an opportunity to expand Australia's genetic pool as those breeds are well adapted to drier conditions, Mr Horne said.