AUSTRALIA is the only country in the world that has made animal welfare a condition of livestock trade.
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“We are the only trading nation with a commitment to post-arrival care of our animals,” said LiveCorp chairman David Galvin, speaking at the industry’s national conference in Canberra this year.
“As the World Organisation for Animal Health has stated, our competitors do not have the same commitment to animal welfare as us, and can export more freely.
“We are the market leaders in high quality livestock and we know the benefits of good animal welfare.”
Mr Galvin said the live trade industry had also proven prescriptive rules do not stop innovation.
“Regulation has not stopped innovation and our industry continues to think outside the box and lead global change,” he said.
“We have seen the installation of CCTV in abattoirs overseas, apps for both traceability and carcase sales in the Middle East, ultra-high frequency RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags and the increased adoption of stunning.”
All of this cuts to the heart of the balancing act the live trade business has performed in 2016 of complying with regulation governing the trade, being accountable and being a profitable industry that is a vital part of Australia’s red meat sector, he said.
