To see Mike delivering this presentation, go to our Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2z9eyovssw

1. Reducing feral camel impacts across remote
Australia:
Australian Feral Camel Management Project
21st November 2013, Parliament House Theatre, Canberra

2. Session Two: Governance and Delivery
Speakers:
Billy Landy, Mark Jeffries and Peter See
Byron Brooks, Ethan Hansen, Troy Hansen and Peter Twigg
Mike Eathorne, Meramist Pty Ltd
Andy Bubb, Ninti One
John Virtue, Biosecurity SA
Bidda Jones, RSPCA

3. Commercial Use
Industry Engagement.
Mike Eathorne

4. Commercial Use of Feral Camels
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Introduction
Livestock Procurement
Transport
Processing
Market Options
Added Value
Summary

5. Introduction
• 2 Export plants in Australia process Camel meat for
Export.
• Samex in Peterborough South Australia.
• Meramist in Caboolture Queensland
• Both plants have capacity to process approx. 120
camels per day.
• Estimated Combined annual capacity available
50,000 PA

6. • Both plants are operating well under capacity.
• 2012-13 combined commercial use was less than
20,000.
• 2013-14 first 4 months has seen very few camels
processed.
• The aerial cull has removed the majority of camels
from traditional mustering areas .

7. Livestock Procurement.
• Lack of a developed supply chain means we can only
produce week to week on a wild caught basis adding
greatly to our costs.
• Meramist do not muster the camels on a direct basis.
We purchase from the Pastoralist and Aboriginal
Communities. We do have mustering teams available
to contract muster for us.
• Samex have contracted a Mustering team operating
predominately in Aboriginal Lands,

8. • For the Export of Camel meat to expand it is critical
that we engage pastoralists to farm camels. To
achieve a complete wipe out of camels is unrealistic
and harnessing a benefit should be considered.
• Co-grazing with cattle is quite compatible, they do not
compete for food source, Camel high grazer, cattle
low.
• Development of a series of holding yards would allow
collection of smaller groups of camels to road train
quantities as well as generate a local cash flow for
both indigenous land holders and pastoralists.
• While not economical to employ aerial shooters for
smaller numbers, it can be worthwhile for the
Commercial use Camel meat industry .
• A stable supply of camels means regular employment
all the way down the supply chain.

10. Transport
• The biggest cost for Commercial use operators is
Transport.
• The majority of camels are sourced from South of
Alice Springs.
• A road train consisting of 3 x 45ft trailers can carry
54 mature camels.
• Building of supply chains is the Camel Industry’s
biggest challenge.

11. Processing

12. • Slaughter of camels is more expensive than
processing beef cattle.
• This is simply the design of Export Abattoirs for beef
cattle and more work is required to process camels.
• Average weight of a Dressed Camel mature camel is
250Kg. This is 50% of the live weight.
• From the 250Kg average dressed weight the yield on
a Boneless animal 62% so 150Kg is packed for sale,
simular to grass fed beef cattle.

13. Market Options
• There is no problem selling camel meat as long as it
retains its relativity to beef. Demand is greater than
available supply.
• Ethnic migration around the world has generated
demand from countries where high health standards
and inspection compliance has meant a great
marketing opportunity for Australia because of our
disease free status and veterinary protocols in place
with first world countries.

14. • There are a number of established markets that we
simply cannot supply the full demand.
• USA Annual demand is for in excess of 300 tons, We
are only supply 50% of this demand.
• Canada Annual demand is in excess of 150 tons, of
this we are supplying less than 20%.
• Europe Annual demand is approx. 100 tons, we are
supply approx. 50% of this.
•
Japan, Asia and China there is a lot of interest, but
we cannot offer

15. •
Camel meat has been part of the staple diet in
Middle East countries for more than 2,000 years and
does not require a huge marketing effort. There are
weekly enquiry's from this market, It is more difficult
as it is very price sensitive due local production , but
the world is demanding higher food safety standards
and Australia stands in a good position to capitalise
on this this.
•
the media attention on Australia culling camels has
given this and a number of other markets incorrect
ideas on the value of camel meat.

16. •
World wide publicity of Aerial culls of camels on a
“Shoot
to waste” policy has not helped our
marketing efforts and many potential customers
believe they should be able to purchase the
camel meat for a fraction of the true value.
•
We cannot develop new markets until we have
established supply chains to meet demand on
established markets.

17. Added Value
• There is still a lot of work to add value to the offal's,
hides and by products. Again this is very difficult with
a consistent supply to the market.
• Hide’s have started to develop value chain markets.
• Blood, trials have been carried out on value of red
cells when blood has been separated.

18. Summary
• Demand is greater than supply.
• The 2 Abattoirs have invested millions of dollar in
upgrading plants to enable processing of camels.
• Have invested time and money to develop and grow
market opportunities.
• Management of large feral animals in the Australian
Out back will be an ongoing problem.

19. • Assistance to Commercialize these animals will
reduce the cost to tax payers as well as generating
export incomes and provide employment all the way
down the supply chain.
• An example of this is Peterborough which is a town of
high unemployment and the local export abattoirs is
the biggest employer in town generating about $ 5
million dollars in wages and on costs for the local
economy.
• Employment in Central Australia where private
enterprise jobs are scarce and can assist with social
problems caused by lack of gainful activities.

21. www.nintione.com.au