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Beef Farms : Thriving Profits To Expensive Lifestyles, Bevan Kingdon, Greg Sawyer

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Low wool prices in the last few years have stimulated interest in beef production in many areas of the State. Market sales at $500 and above for vealers sound attractive, but profitability of farms varies greatly. A BeefFarm Survey conducted by the Department of Agriculture has some interesting preliminary findings. Based on fairly modest returns for the operator's time, some farms are actually losing rather than making money on their beef enterprise, although potential profits are sizeable with good management. Interestingly, the biggest farms are not always the most efficient.