| A letter from David Warriner, Chairman, NTCA (Northern Territory Cattleman’s Association):”I think most people understand “cattlemen on the land” abhor the disgusting treatment of our animals we saw on the misleading and unbalanced Four Corners program. It must be understood this is not typical.
When your business is in dealing with animals, animal welfare is a constant. One animal in pain is one too many. It is therefore impossible for it not to be an issue. We love our cattle, we love the land, and we love the industry, and right now the outlook for the future is looking pretty damn grim.
The banning of the live export trade to Indonesia is certainly the biggest shock the cattle industry in the Northern Territory has ever had. If the trade is not recommenced the ramifications will potentially roll right through the Australian cattle industry and then onto all rural based enterprises as land values are diminished across the nation. An overwhelming concept by any measure. An economic, social, and welfare disaster. Costing the nation billions of dollars. And rendering millions of animals into very risky situations. Cattle cannot survive without our commitment to them and the infrastructure that supports them. We may be at a “tipping point” as some say.
It seemed to me that the scale of this disaster is not considered as it should be by almost all of the people we saw. It certainly seems to me that political capital is no.1 and the national interest is being treated with scant regard. It is also apparent to me that an appreciation of the ramifications of this situation are not fully understood.
The situation right now is a disaster. A few comments;
• We have created diplomatic situation whereby the Indonesians are very offended, very insulted, and very angry at the lack of consultation prior to the shutdown. We have cut out food to their people, of which all certainly will not be replaced. We will pay an enormous price for this. 300,000 head per annum equates to 822 head per day. Every day that the market is closed leaves a food void of this proportion (close to 300 tonnes per day). If it is replaced locally the void is simply shifted. But it is still there unless other cattle/beef is imported.
• We have been told that there will be no import licences issued for Australian cattle until 50 abattoirs are bought up to scratch. I understand import licenses are being issued right now for cattle from other countries to replace the Australian shortfall. If this comes from a Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) infected country our buffer against this disease is gone and the risk of FMD in Australia is substantially multiplied. If this happens our beef processing and exporting industries shut down.
o Abattoir upgrades are not rolling out quickly enough. Private operators willing to take the risk are investing heavily into this at the moment but we need to get the quantum (50) completed before any license will be issued.
o By the time this happens most of the year will be gone and financial pressures will be deeming many business in very stressed situations so expect bankruptcies and the associated human and animal welfare costs of that.
• The new export pathways to Indonesia will be choked so there will be obvious over supply for at least 2 years in my opinion. We are in for very difficult terms of trade in the short term. Not that they weren’t anyway.
• We cannot slaughter the feeder steers and heifers normally destined for Indonesia as is repeatedly suggested. Normally these cattle go into Indonesian feedlots and are fed to a point whereby they achieve a carcase quality on slaughter. We cannot replicate the feedlots they have in Indonesia as our soil types are not conducive to fodder production. We can make cows have calves but that is about all.
• Transporting 300,000 head per year to southern and eastern markets is cost prohibitive, road & transport risk prohibitive and animal welfare prohibitive. We simply should not be trucking cattle 3,000 km to market. This is why abattoirs are being considered for the cows & bulls that no longer go to Indonesia due to the weight restrictions imposed during 2010. We cannot use this for steers and heifers as outlined above.
o These cattle will put enormous pressure on southern and eastern markets.
• Stunning will occur at the operating level. It is just that we cannot mandate a standard higher than any other standard in the world, including ours. Australian standards do not mandate stunning and in fact we have 6 or 7 Halal / Kosher certified abattoirs that don’t stun. Most parliamentarians don’t realise this.
• It is unfair to stereotype northern cattlemen into the mortality statistics being espoused around the corridors. 2 million head in the last thirty years. This equates to 1.6% and includes some disasters that happened a long long time ago with sheep. The current mortality rate for our cattle to Indonesia is better than 0.1%.
• Government must support initiatives that help producers survive.
• We must understand the impact this will have on aboriginals, their communities, and their own pastoral enterprises.”
David Warriner
Top End Branch Chairman
NTCA Executive
Tipperary Station
Douglas Daly NT |
