Live cattle trade to Indonesia

[topcropper]

The processed meat export industry dwarfs the live trade. Getting rid of the live trade would be no great loss and probably fully compensated by greater processed meat exports, in my opinion FWIW.

You are normally well researched before you post, but not this time. Indonesia has no way to store meat, no refrigeration, it has to be fresh. Northern Australia has to get rid of cattle at this time of year as it hasn't rained now for 3 months, feed is running out, and it wont rain again for another 4 or 5 months.

Getting rid of the live trade would be no great loss for most of Australia, but it will devastate the northern rural economy with a wet summer season and 7 or 8 months no rain.



I thought similar to you at first, but now I can see how serious this all is.

As per usual, Dazz has been spot on, from the start.


See ya's.

 

[HiEquity]

You are normally well researched before you post, but not this time. Indonesia has no way to store meat, no refrigeration, it has to be fresh. Northern Australia has to get rid of cattle at this time of year as it hasn't rained now for 3 months, feed is running out, and it wont rain again for another 4 or 5 months.

TC I'm talking about whether this is an industry we should be in long term - not the current issues surrounding chopping existing producers off at the knees.

I fail to see how a refrigerated container full of frozen meat turning up on their door step is any different to a carcass they have just slaughtered. The frozen variety would have a day or two on the fresh one courtesy of the time it would take to defrost.

If you're talking about logistic issues and timing of supply to local markets etc that's not exactly a rocket science problem. I'm fully aware of their lack of cold storage but Indonesia isn't so backward they can't transport refrigerated containers on a regular basis.

Getting rid of the live trade would be no great loss for most of Australia, but it will devastate the northern rural economy with a wet summer season and 7 or 8 months no rain.

Agreed. You know better than most how poor those soils are for any other use. However, abattoirs used to thrive in northern Australia until we exported that part of the value chain. We can get it back - our abattoir industry has proven itself to be internationally competitive. The numbers in my previous post demonstrate just how much of the value chain we have given up in the live trade. Just look at the quantities and the dollars in the live vs processed industries and tell me how the live trade is good for the nation... ?

Just need to get some northern farmers to take up the abattoir trade in northern Australia instead. Of course that's easily said from the comfort of my lounge room but you can't make national policy decisions on the basis of stopping anyone from getting hurt. These decisions need to be taken in the national interest. We need to stand up to customers who aren't worth selling to. And help people currently in the industry in their move up the value chain.

 

[eKwatee]

Greens fail to stop cattle exports with parliamentary motion

THE Australian Greens have failed to have parliament support their plan to shut down the live cattle export trade.

Greens Agriculture spokeswoman Rachel Siewert was unsuccessful in her motion calling on the government to immediately end the live export trade of all animals.

She said animal welfare standards which were acceptable to Australians could not be guaranteed in overseas markets given the World Organisation for Animal Health did not require cattle to be stunned before slaughter.

The government joined the coalition and independent senator Nick Xenophon to defeat Senator Siewert's motion in the Senate.

See article here

Another win for the Cattle Farmers.

 

[Graingrower]

I fail to see how a refrigerated container full of frozen meat turning up on their door step is any different to a carcass they have just slaughtered. The frozen variety would have a day or two on the fresh one courtesy of the time it would take to defrost.

There is a difference. Frozen meat, once thawed does not last as long as fresh meat. Freezing actually breaks down the cells in meat. We were all taught in cooking school that frozen meat should be cooked promptly. Fresh meat will last for a few days, and up to a week depending on the climate.

The other point is that if there was opportunities to value add Aussies would be doing it. Years ago the US was concerned about the amount of Australian lamb coming into their country. They placed import quotas on Aussie lamb, so we were limited to x nnumber of tonnes going into the US every year. Our abbatoirs saw an opportunity and started trimming off the bone and fat from the carcases. They sent in twice as many lambs and charged them a premium for it. Fast forward a few years and the MLA have an office in the US and are running a 'tri nations' lamb campaign with the US and New Zealand. The premise is that if they can work together to increase the total consumption of lamb in the US then all three countries lamb industries benefit. You have to realise that lamb only takes up about 1% of the red meat market in the US. Judging by current lamb prices I'd say the campaign is working well.

 

[HiEquity]

The other point is that if there was opportunities to value add Aussies would be doing it.

My understanding is that competition from Australian live exports killed the Australian processed export industry to Indonesia. We have it within our power to remove that source of competition. Sure we would lose some volume to other countries as a result (for refrigeration as well as cost reasons to the extent that both apply) but IMO we would more than make that up with the extra value we would receive in processing here the (fewer) animals we would still export to Indonesia.

Anyway, it's probably worth listening to the Australian Meat Industry Council for their view. From here:

THE LIVE EXPORT TRADE – THE TRADE-OFF

Indonesia now represents 75% of Australia’s live cattle exports. It is clear that this investment is in direct competition with the red meat processing sector in Australia for the live animal. AMIC accepts the existence of the live export trade as long as they compete on a level playing field. This does not appear to be the case at present in Indonesia.

Disparities in tariffs continue to exist between beef (5%) and live cattle imports (zero) tariffs. An FTA should seek to eliminate the 5% tariff disadvantage on processed beef products.

Currently offals banned from import because of Halal or quarantine reasons, walk into Indonesia as live animals and are sold on the domestic market following slaughter. Imported frozen offals such as lungs, tripe and spleens would compete with these fresh offals if they were not banned.

I reckon it's not really about the refrigeration...

 

[Dazz]

Well, it's been a year and a bit since this debacle.

Joe Ludwig is still the Federal Agriculture Minister overseeing everything.

Live exports are once again flowing to Indonesia, but I am told from people involved with negotiations with Indonesian Govt officials that they think Australian officials are "stuck up" and are not good to work with.

Since this debacle we've also had two state elections in 2 out of the 3 states affected by this ban decision. The Greens who were pushing this agenda, foistered onto their Labor mates in power have been devastated in both.

In Qld, the Greens won no seats whatseover, and Labor was booted out of office with the biggest electoral defeat since Federation !!

In the NT, the Greens won no seats whatseover, and Labor was booted out of office.

In WA, we are scheduled for another election in March 2013. Even though the Liberals and Nats form a minority Govt....you'd never know cos they actually run the place well, I suspect this issue will have a big effect up north as well.


Obviously this issue isn't the only one on the table when people make up their minds, but the Greens agenda to ban live cattle exports certainly back-fired on them in a huge way.

I'm hopeful that the backlash from the majority (not all obviously....the lefties will still moan) will come shining through in both the WA state election results and the Federal results later on.

I guess we'll see.

 

[Ideo]

And the thread will now be locked in 3, 2, ...

 

[Fifth]

And the thread will now be locked in 3, 2, ...

Before that happens - VOTE Senator Online (Internet Voting Bills/Issues)!

(It's a real party - they want people on the Internet to control government. What could go wrong with that??)

 

[cu@thetop]

To the mods:


Ya don't like the Greens I'm begining to suspect Dazz.