ABSTRACT
First, the underlying characteristics of beef demand and cattle supply that influence the way the industry can be organised spatially are reported second, well-informed and well-integrated regional markets require various market infrastructure. This chapter outlines the infrastructure that exists and the extent to which it has facilitated greater integration. It describes the information that is available and what use can and is made of it by market participants to improve integration across regional markets. Although some broad generalisations can be made, the characteristics of beef demand and cattle supply and slaughtering lead to more complex spatial relationships within the industry that warrant further investigation. Issues relating to breeding programs and regionalisation are explored further in this chapter. The chapter describes some of the channels and services for cattle and beef marketing and their impact on inter-regional product flows and integration.
