Outback roo numbers reach 'plague proportion'

Posted July 12, 2012 08:22:28

A western Queensland mayor says small town economies are suffering due to the prolonged downturn in the nation's kangaroo sector.

Russia banned imports of Australian kangaroo meat three years ago and harvesters have found it difficult to find markets for their product ever since.

Barcoo Mayor Julie Groves says without shooters working, roo numbers have exploded due to ideal breeding conditions over three big wet seasons.

"I've never seen so many before and I have lived all my life out here," she said.

"Just the sheer numbers and there are a lot of really big roos ... in years gone by you might see the odd big roo but just the sheer numbers and that's another factor of our good seasons that has enabled them to grow so large."

The LNP's Member for Gregory, Vaughan Johnson, says he has spoken to the state's Trade Minister Tim Nicholls about the urgent need to reopen roo markets and find new opportunities for kangaroo meat.

"Mr Nicholls is just on the eve now of doing a trip to the United States and China," he said.

"I am hoping like hell that we might be able to negotiate some markets in China.

"The numbers are just out of control because of the seasons we've had.

"Some of those roos are monsters.

"Everywhere you go in that inside central country the roos are in plague proportion, [I've] never seen anything like it in my life."

Topics: animals, agribusiness, food-processing, states-and-territories, rural, jundah-4736, longreach-4730, mount-isa-4825