TheBeefSite Newsletter - 1 June 2011

TheBeefSite Weekly Newsletter

Wednesday 1st June 2011

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Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Should Australia Ban Live Cattle Exports?

Animal welfare sentiments are strong this week in Australia, as an expose by ABC Four Corners showed the fate of Australian cattle sent for slaughter in Indonesia.

The footage showed horrific visions of cattle being inhumanely slaughtered at Indonesian abattoirs.

Cattle were beaten, whipped and kicked prior to slaughter, and the animals were fully conscious during their slow and traumatic deaths.

As well as lack of staff training, it was apparent that there was a lack of sufficient cattle handling facilities in many of the abattoirs. Both of these issues are things that Livestock Corp and the Meat and Livestock Association (MLA) have been working on for the past 10 years.

Last year, the two groups published a report saying that the welfare of cattle sent to and slaughtered in Indonesia is "generally good".

Despite the government suspending live cattle exports to 11 of the abattoirs investigated, there is pressure from animal welfare groups, and even the Australian Veterinary Association to stop all live cattle exports to Indonesia.

However, Indonesia is Australia's biggest customer, taking 60 per cent of the live cattle trade. This is 500,000 animals a year, worth more than A$400 million.

It is apparent from the reactions of the public and the cattle industry that something must be done. The programme has raised serious questions on the welfare of cattle exported live.

However, this is not the first time these issues have been raised. Last year, out of shipment of 16,460 cattle exported to Egypt from Australia, nearly two per cent (295) died en route.

And finally, regardless of the methods used in Indonesia, is it really acceptable for a large animal, in any country, to be killed without being stunned?

Charlotte Johnston

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 4 new features this week:

Beef With A Better Carbon Footprint
The agriculture sector in the UK has been set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 18 per cent on the levels in 2008, writes Chris Harris for TheCattleSite.

Reforms Will Bring A Greening Of The CAP
Towards the end of June new proposals for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy are expected to come out of Brussels, writes TheCattleSite editor in chief Chris Harris.

Suckler Beef Production In Ireland: Grassland Management
Research by Paul Crosson and Mark McGee, at Teagasc Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre focuses on profitability for suckler beef production. This section looks at the importance of grassland management.

Stacking The Odds With AI
Cattlemen know genetic change is a slow process, especially when compared to other species.

Genus - Value through science and genomics

Company News

Fluke in Cattle Costs Producers Millions
UK - The number of cases of liver fluke in cattle sent for slaughter continues to rise, according to figures released by the Food Standards Agency. Over a fifth of all cattle in Great Britain (GB) sent to slaughterhouses during 2010 had their livers condemned as a result of damage caused by liver fluke¹.

Global Beef Cattle Industry News