Indonesia may be on verge of temporarily suspending live cattle exports from Australia, a leaked email from the government live export regulatory authority to exporters says.
ACM has been provided with a copy of the email from Andrew McDonald, the first assistant secretary for live animal exports, welfare and regulation at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to dozens of businesses involved in the live animal trade.
Titled "Heads up: be ready as best you can, as soon as you can be please", the email says it is Mr McDonald's professional judgement that the Indonesian Quarantine Authority is highly likely to impose some form of temporary trade suspension on live cattle exports from Australia.
"What form this precisely takes and how encapsulating the temporary suspension might be is impossible to judge at this point. Our significant hope is that it does not happen or is at least highly targeted," the email says.
DAFF has released a statement saying it is aware that Indonesia may temporarily suspend the import of live cattle from one Australian facility pending the finalisation of the investigation of recent cattle deaths on the Brahman Express. It says it is awaiting official correspondence from Indonesia to confirm this.
Industry sources believe the deaths were the result of botulism.
Mr McDonald's email, which was sent on Tuesday, emphasised it was not designed to raise panic.
"My simple intention is to forewarn so that you can all consider any contingency planning that may be commercially possible," he wrote.
"I know many of your companies are involved right at this time in the preparation of consignments, and/or have vessels on water. If Indonesia advises Australia of any restrictions, they are unlikely to provide much time for your companies to rearrange your affairs."
The department's latest statement said it was continuing to investigate the cause of livestock mortalities reported on the Brahman Express.
Testing undertaken at the Northern Territory Government's Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory had excluded Bovine Ephemeral Fever and tick fever as possible causes of mortality. A number of other tests are still underway as part of the investigation, the department said.
Shan Goodwin
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
