Bale sale beefs up fire recovery funds

A bale of hay that survived the recent fires near Myalup, north of Bunbury, has proved a valuable catalyst to efforts to restore the communities affected by the disaster.

Western Meat Packers chief executive officer Andrew Fuda paid $30,000 at a charity auction for the hay bale infused with smoke from jarrah, red gum and peppermint trees.

The hay has already been fed to select steers at WMPG contracted Borden beef feedlot, with the meat most likely to end up in its exports to Japan where demand for quality grain-fed Australian beef is high. The key north Asian market is second only to the US when it comes to demand for Australian beef, according to Meat and Livestock Australia.