subject: Live Sheep Exports Value To Australia's Farming Industry [print this page] Live Sheep Exports Value To Australia's Farming Industry
The value of the Australian live export industry exceeded A$1 billion for the second year running in 2010, delivering $1.012 billion in export revenue to the Australian economy.
While the live animal export trade experienced reduced export volumes in 2010 due to tough trading conditions in key sheep, cattle and goat markets, the trade delivered strong returns for Australian livestock producers in 2010, reflected in the solid revenue performance.
A total of 873,573 cattle worth A$679 million were exported from Australia in 2010. While this reflects a 12% decrease on 2009 volumes, it also reflects a $17 million increase in the value of the trade and the industry's highest ever export earnings for live cattle exports.
Australia's largest cattle market, Indonesia, was down 33% to 520,987 head following its enforcement of 350kg weight restrictions and reduced permit allocations for the year.
However, the cattle trade to the Middle East expanded in 2010, helping to offset the reduction in export numbers to Indonesia. Overall the Middle East cattle trade grew by 134% in 2010, up from 96,000 head to 226,547 head on the back of the reopening of the Egypt trade and the establishment of the cattle trade to Turkey.
Live sheep exports were also down in 2010, with numbers reducing by 17% to just over 2.978 million head for the year, due to drought conditions in Western Australia and limited domestic sheep flock supply. However the value of the live sheep export trade remained steady at A$323 million.
Goat exports totalled 81,895 head, down 16% on the previous year due to the increased price of live goats and tighter economic conditions in the key market of Malaysia.
In 2010 over 99% of all Australian livestock arrived fit and healthy at their destination.
Live exporters and livestock producers pay levies when Australian livestock are exported overseas, and the live export industry invests these funds into making animal welfare improvements throughout the trade.
A big part of this work is to improve conditions for Australian live sheep exports, live cattle exports and live goat exports once they arrive overseas.
For live sheep exports, a key focus is improving animal welfare conditions during the annual Eid al Adha festival.
To increase animal welfare awareness for families and communities that choose to transport sheep to their homes during the three-day Eid al Adha festival, the live sheep export industry implements an animal welfare program, dubbed in the ute, not the boot, which with the help of a team of Australian producers and animal welfare specialists educates and informs local people on how to appropriately handle and transport sheep.
The annual Eid al Adha transport program operates in parallel with the ongoing animal welfare training, education and infrastructure upgrades Australia's live export industry delivers year-round, funded by producers and exporters through MLA and LiveCorp, and in partnership with the Australian Government through the Live Trade Animal Welfare Partnership (LTAWP).
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