Australian Live Cattle Exports in Limbo

I do not usually use my blog to talk about my beliefs when it comes to religion, politics and so on, but I just can't help myself on this one!

For those of you in the states, yesterday the Australian government banned all live cattle exports to Indonesia due to some disturbing video of animal cruelty in an Indonesian abattoirs. The repercussions of this is going to be astronomical.

Don't get me wrong, I do not condone animal cruelty in any way. I am a firm believer in the human treatment of animals. I would not be able to hurt an animal and will not be associated with anyone or anything that does. The images that arose from the Indonesian abattoirs took place during the slaughter of the cattle. In the Indonesian religion the cattle must be conscious and lying down when slaughtered amongst a host of other rules and regulations. The procedures that took place to ensure this in about 10 abattoirs in Indonesia is where the animal cruelty allegations arose.

So, in response the Australian government decided to ban all live exports to Indonesia for up to six months while the problem is fixed. This put a huge strain on the Top End cattle market here in Australia. The cattle producers in this area have already been dealt a destructive blow with the Indonesian markets limiting exports to only those cattle between strict weight restrictions. This has been so that the cattle are not shipped directly from Australia to Indonesia to be slaughtered. The cattle are required to be placed in a feed lot in Indonesia thus boosting the Indonesian economy. Now this, the only source of income for the pastorialist of the north is live export to Indonesia. There are no abattoirs in the north of Australia. With no income for up to six months, how are these poor people supposed to put food on the table or fuel in the car?

This ban is not only going to effect the pastorialist. The haulage companies and it's employees that haul the cattle to the export yards are going to have to go with no income. The chopper companies that contract muster will have no work. Right down to the local businesses and communities that support these people from the bush. Those too only name a few.

So what is the answer? I can't say that I have a perfect answer either. But, I sure ask questions about the quick and drastic decision. Why wasn't a team of officials sent to Indonesia to work with the 10 abattoirs that were creating the crime? There are over three hundred abattoirs in Indonesia that except Australian cattle. So, why were the other two hundred and ninety punished as well? Why can't the unacceptable abattoirs be mentored by the acceptable ones? There are numerous other decisions that appear to be more rational than the one handed down by the Labour government.

Now what is in store for the cattle of the Top End. At the moment there are over four thousand head of cattle sitting in the export yards near Darwin. Where do they go? Do they stay in the export yards until a decision is made by the Australian government? By then they very well not be marketable to Indonesia due to the tight weight restrictions. Do they go back to the stations they came from? Who pays to feed the animals or truck them back? So many questions.

The cattle are not at a viable weight to be slaughtered here in Australia. They need to be finished in a feedlot. There are no feedlots in the north to accommodate the demand. The cattle are not good candidates to be shipped south as they are Brahman-Brahman Cross cattle that are bred for the tropical climate and would take drastic steps back is shipped south to the colder climate, especially this time of the year. Even if shipped to markets further south the cattle will flood the market and decrease the price of cattle here in Australia.

What about the Indonesian government and it's call for cattle. I am sure the Indonesians are not going to stop eating beef. Maybe this is the chance for the Indonesian cattle industry to find out if they can do it for themselves. What if they can? Then what is in store for the Australian export market? To add insult to injury the Indonesians have approached the World Trade Organization about the issue.

And finally how about the poor families in the far north from Townsville to Perth who have already been struggling. The hard working men and women of the bush. We have so many friends that are so drastically effected by this, we only pray that the answers will come. If the current legislation remains in effect they will be destocking and depopulating the entire Top End of Australia!