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Better financial outlook predicted for Qld cattle producers

An agricultural forecaster expects the financial performance of Queensland beef farms to improve this year.

The Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics says cash incomes for producers in northern Australia will increase to more than $127,000 because of above average rain in parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory.

But senior economist Peter Martin says most farms in southern Australia will generate only $45,000 in income.

"Two thousand and six/2007 was a bad year in terms of the drought year and beef herds got very run down and they're still in the process of re-herding, so for this current year we've not had an increase in turn-off and that's constrained beef producers' incomes," he said.

- ABC

© ABC 2008

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