MLA’s livestock export manager, Michael Finucan, said the report’s author hadn’t understood the Middle Eastern market, the real factors driving demand in the region and its impact on Western Australian farmers.
"Pulling out of the live trade would present a huge risk to Australian producers and the Australian economy," he said.
"The Report’s claims of increased returns to the Australian economy assumes the Middle East will want to purchase all their product as chilled and frozen. We know this is not the case. Live animals are required by the market for religious and cultural reasons.
"Demand in the Middle East is strong for all Australian livestock products – chilled, frozen and live. Australian producers are supplying all of these products and the Australian economy is benefiting from this strong demand from the Middle East region.
"If Australia stopped supplying live animals to this market it would likely be serviced by our competitors who do not have the same high animal welfare standards as Australia."
MLA has operated an office in the Middle East for 27 years focused on marketing Australian lamb and mutton and addressing trade barriers. Australian animal welfare experts are based in MLA’s Middle East office and improve animal welfare through training, infrastructure improvements and livestock management programs.
Contrary to the claims in the report, sheep producers and livestock exporters are aware of the full cost and importance of animal welfare – they invest over $1million annually via MLA and LiveCorp into animal welfare programs and industry operates to the highest standards in the world for animal welfare.