Since I checked in with you last I’ve been pretty busy working on some young horses to get them ready for our mustering season, as well as checking, fixing and installing water points for our cattle. It’s been very hot the last month with quite a few days at 47 degrees and none under 42, so we’ve also been doing a few rain dances - the country could do with a well earned drink very soon, that’s my place below.
Last time I said I’d explain why we choose the live trade for our cattle. Well, there are a couple of reasons.
Firstly, because we are located in the north of Australia we have very few marketing options for our cattle aside from the live trade. With Indonesia being nearly as close as our capital city, Perth, the live trade just makes sense. While it would take us 24 hours to drive our cattle to the closest abattoir (which is over 1500 kilometres away), it takes us just two hours to drive to our closest port.
Secondly, we breed cattle that suit the demands of the Asian and Middle Eastern markets. Like any market, there are different specifications required by different consumers. Our hot, dry environment means we breed the type of animal that naturally complements the strict requirements from countries that demand live animals.
Thirdly, the countries we export to need live animals for religious, cultural and geographical reasons. Religious and cultural requirements dictate the need for live animals in these countries – these requirements have been around forever, and they are not about to change overnight. And people in rural and regional areas need live animals because they don’t have fridges or access to supermarkets like we do.
Despite what animal rights activists say, replacing the live trade with the chilled meat trade is simply a fairy-tail alternative. The fact of the matter is that there are many other countries around the world (Somalia, Brazil and China are only some) that would quickly take over supplying live animals if Australia was forced to pull out of the trade – it is not as simple as replacing one trade with the other. And these countries do not have the high standards of animal welfare that Australia does.
I am proud of the contribution that Australia is making to animal welfare in Asia and the Middle East. I have visited a feedlot in Asia where Australian cattle live after being imported, and I can tell you that the facilities were at a high standard, the place was peaceful and the cattle were very content. Without Australia’s positive influence in these countries, animal welfare standards and improvements would be obsolete - now that’s what I call real, gutsy animal care. So it seems to me that from an animal welfare point of view, it is essential that Australia grows stronger in the trade. Without us, animal welfare standards would drop.
Without this trade, my career and the future of our family property looks very dismal. If Australia didn’t have a live trade we would have no market and no income – and it would not be an option for us to just walk off our property, we have the responsibility to care for our animals and our land. And it is not only my family we are talking about, it is thousands. This is why I think the trade will only continue to grow stronger in the future - our industry has people with persistent, immense, lifelong passions which can only translate into stronger standards and more exciting ventures in the trade in the future.