Get the facts
The facts about regulation
The facts about industry initiatives
The facts about research & development
The facts about value and contribution

Get the facts

The Australian livestock export industry is the most highly regulated in the world, and is recognised as having the world’s best standards for livestock export*.

Everyone involved in the industry cares deeply about animal welfare, with the industry investing significant time and money on initiatives to improve the welfare of Australian livestock transported overseas.

The industry recognises the importance of continually improving its practices and invests over A$1.4 each year in a comprehensive program of research and development (R&D), ranging from on-farm projects through to the care of animals once they arrive overseas.  Animal welfare is a particular focus of the R&D program, with 41% of the R&D budget spent on livestock management and welfare in 2006-07.

The livestock export industry is an integral part of the national cattle and sheep industries, contributing A$1.8 billion to the Australian economy each year and employing 13,000 Australians.

*In May 2006 an independent report released by Alliance Resource Economics established “Australia has the highest livestock export standards for animal welfare in the world, when compared to 15 other countries including the United States, United Kingdom, South America and countries throughout Europe.

The facts about regulation

Australia is regarded as the world leader in the regulation and management of the export of livestock, with the industry subject to strict regulatory requirements developed to ensure the wellbeing of Australian animals exported to overseas markets.

Pre export

Every Australian exporter must be licensed by AQIS on behalf of the Australian Government, and is required to demonstrate competence, industry knowledge, financial and personal integrity and compliance with industry standards.

Each consignment of livestock to be exported overseas must comply with importing country protocols and meet the specific requirements of the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) before being issued with an Export Permit by AQIS.

The ASEL set requirements for the export process across the transportation chain, from property of origin, road transport, pre-export assembly, loading and shipment, and were developed in consultation with industry, governments and animal welfare groups including the RSPCA. They are also endorsed by the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC).

All pre export assembly facilities must also meet established standards and be registered by AQIS, with AQIS officers inspecting all animals prior to loading to ensure fitness to travel.

All Middle East consignments are subject to a risk assessment prior to departure taking into account the time of year, origin and condition of the animals and ventilation efficiency of the particular vessel.  Stocking densities for these voyages are then determined taking into account this risk assessment.

Vessels are also subject to approval by the Australian Marine Safety Authority (AMSA) and must meet strict requirements for the carriage of livestock under Marine Order 43.

Experienced veterinarians accredited by AQIS are involved in the preparation of all animals for export.  It is their responsibility to oversee and certify that the livestock are prepared in accordance with requirements set out in the ASEL.

During export

An experienced accredited Australian stockperson cares for livestock on all vessels, and reports regularly on the progress of the voyage. AQIS accredited veterinarians also accompany livestock on journeys to the Middle East to provide extra care, and on other voyages at AQIS’ discretion.

Mortality levels on all voyages are reported and if these exceed predetermined trigger levels a full investigation occurs.  These levels are 2% for sheep and 1% for cattle on voyages over 10 days and 0.5% for voyages under 10 days.

Current average mortalities during voyages are significantly lower than these trigger levels, at 0.7% for sheep and 0.1% for cattle. A report on mortalities is tabled in each House of Parliament every six months. These reports are also posted on the AQIS website as part of industry’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

The facts about industry initiatives

The Australian livestock export industry, including exporters, producers and the farming families and communities that invest in animal welfare, are committed to the highest standards of animal care. 

During 2006, 99.82% of cattle and 99.1% of sheep that were loaded onto livestock export vessels in Australia arrived in importing countries in good health after being well looked after during the voyage.

These figures represent a positive ongoing result for the Australian livestock export industry, but industry is committed to continuing to improve. That is why industry, with the Australian Government and AQIS, actively invests in initiatives to improve animal welfare.

Initiatives prior to boarding vessels

The Australian livestock export industry recognises that maintaining the health, welfare and quality of livestock is the responsibility of everyone involved in the industry, and has recently released the MLA/LiveCorp “Is it fit to export?” guide .

The guide has been distributed widely across the industry - to producers, livestock transporters, buyers, exporters, pre-export assembly depots, regulators and stevedores - to assist in maintaining the already high standards of animal health and welfare during the livestock export process.

In compiling this guide, researchers have taken into account the current version of the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock.

Initiatives onboard vessels

All vessel transporting livestock from Australia are clean, modern and operate under the highest standards in the world.

The industry is committed to providing the highest standards of care for animals onboard livestock export vessels. All animals are loaded by professionals following strict calculations to determine pen density - giving all animals sufficient space to move around, lie down and access the constantly available food and water on board. Each vessel also has ‘hospital pens’ to provide extra care for sick animals.

The industry also employs highly trained and accredited stockmen to accompany all voyages overseas to ensure the animals are just as healthy when they arrive at their destination as they were when they were loaded. In addition, AQIS accredited veterinarians accompany voyages to the Middle East to provide extra care.

Initiatives in-market

Industry invests both money and human resources into improving animal welfare outcomes in the countries we export to, particularly in the Middle East.

Australian animal welfare specialists are employed by industry in the Middle East region to provide practical training to veterinarians and stockmen on how to work with Australian animals. These representatives travel to each importing country in the Middle East to work with people on the ground.

Industry funds and implements upgrades to infrastructure, such as feedlots, abattoirs and port facilities, in the Middle East and Asia and establishes joint initiatives with local governments in these regions to improve animal welfare. Industry also provides regular inspection and assessment of facilities including ships, ports, trucks, abattoirs and feedlots, as well as assisting with the unloading of Australian animals from vessels.

This investment and training is delivering real improvements including:

• An improved understanding among stockmen, feedlot operators and others throughout the supply chain of how to work with Australian sheep, which are not domesticated like local Middle Eastern sheep and therefore need to be handled differently. 
• Improvements in the way animals are being handled while being unloaded from ships, leading to shorter unloading times so that sheep are in feedlots with feed and water much quicker than previously.  This improved rate is a direct consequence of teaching local stockmen techniques to work with the animal’s natural behaviour, providing a more efficient and less stressful process for the animals.
• Improvements in feedlot management including access to cool water, feed, and shaded pens.  For example, in Doha industry facilitated the implementation of water chilling facilities to ensure sheep had constant access to cool water.  Industry also advised and assisted in changing the feedlot’s infrastructure to replace solid walls with rails, increasing airflow through the feedlot.

Australia is the only country in the world actively working in the Middle East to improve animal welfare – if Australia was not in the Middle East the rate of progress and improvement in animal welfare will slow, or worse, stop.

The facts about research & development 

The Australian livestock export industry recognises the importance of research and development in improving its standards and practices, and invests A$1.4 million each year in a comprehensive range of R&D projects which range from on-farm studies to research on animal care once Australian animals arrive overseas.

This investment is funded by MLA and LiveCorp’s Livestock Export Program, with the Federal Government matching industry’s investment.

Animal welfare is an over-arching consideration in the industry’s R&D program. In 2006-07, 41% of the R&D budget was spent on livestock management and welfare. In 2007/08 this is planned to increase to 52%.

R&D has been a major contributor to achieving improved export success rates, which now exceed 99% of all animals exported.

The following key outcomes were also delivered over the past five years as a result of R&D:
• Minimising the risk of heat stress onboard ships;
• Maximising animal welfare through regulation and good industry practice;
• Minimising the risks of disease during livestock export;
• Developing a best practice guide for veterinary drugs during livestock export;
• Communicating voyage outcomes; and
• Improving operations and infrastructure in destination markets.

A new plan is currently being finalised for the next five years to 2012, with the vision being “for the livestock export industry to have ready access to the knowledge necessary to maintain its position as a world leader in the sustainable and profitable export of livestock”. 

The facts about value and contribution

The Australian livestock export industry makes a significant contribution to the nations’ export earnings, the national economy and to the economies of regional and remote areas of Australia.

National value and contribution

An independent report completed by Hassall and Associates in 2006 titled “The Live Export Industry: Value, Outlook and Contribution to the economy” provides information about the increasing value of livestock exports as a major sector of the Australian livestock industry. 

Results from the research found the livestock export industry contributes the following to the national economy:

• $1.80 billion to gross domestic product annually;
• 12,924 jobs with $987 million in wages and salaries annually; and
• $4.19 billion in export income in five years including $2.52 billion from live cattle and $1.62 billion from live sheep export earnings from 2001 to 2005 (Source: the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research).

The report states that the industry is an integral part of the national cattle and sheep industries and loss of the live export market would have flow-on price impacts across domestic markets.

The report found that a closure of the livestock export trade in cattle and sheep would cause an ongoing reduction in the GVP (Gross Value of Production) of Australia’s sheep and beef cattle industries in the order of $550 million per annum.  This loss is a 6% reduction in the gross value of the entire cattle and sheep meat industries (ABS 2005).

Further, many regions that benefit from the livestock export trade do not have ready access to alternative markets for livestock,  and any reduction in the trade would impact directly on farm income.

Regional value and contribution

A further independent report commissioned by Meat & Livestock Australia and LiveCorp and released in August 2007 - Assessing the Value of the Livestock Export Industry to Regional Australia - examined the five regions most reliant on the industry – the Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria and the northern and southern regions of Western Australia.  

The Report found that during 2006 the industry contributed $0.83 billion to regional economies and generated employment for over 11,000 Australians in these areas (see table below), underpinning the economic activity and social wellbeing of large slices of rural and remote Australia.

Employment figures include farming families, indigenous landowners, exporters, stockmen, road transport providers, dockside workers and other service providers such as veterinarians and fodder suppliers. A closure of the trade would have a devastating effect on everyone involved in the trade.