The fallout from COVID-19 in 2020 caused Australian borders to slam shut, hitting the beef industry with disrupted supply chains and a shock export ban from China.
Scott Waldron, Associate Professor at the School of Agricultural and Food Sustainability at the University of Queensland, said out of the nine commodities affected by China's bans, he expected the beef industry would be next to see resolutions."There's a lot of companies worldwide that are seeking accreditation or to have these suspensions reversed.
"The changing nature of air travel and the changing nature of the aircraft and its availability for storage, and the cost per kilo associated with air freight, makes it a little less viable across all the other areas," he said.Another COVID-induced blow to the industry saw nearly historically high cattle prices plummet because of the Chinese-imposed barriers on Australian exports, but Dr Waldon said the tide had turned.
"In many supermarkets and butchery shops there was no meat available, and on very short notice, so what's intriguing around that is the increase in domestic consumption."