The Australian Livestock Export Corporation Limited (Livecorp) and Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) work closely together through a formal Joint program that involves both funding and administration. One of the elements of the Joint Program is overseas Market Access and Trade Support.
The primary objectives of the Joint Program’s market access and trade support are:
- Enhancing the welfare and performance of exported animals through after sales technical support
- Building international demand for Australian livestock
- Maintaining and improving market access through government and industry liaison
After sales service delivered to abattoirs is the major trade support activity in Asia and is delivered to importers of Australian cattle throughout Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. Other smaller markets receive support on an as needs basis. This support centres on improving the efficiencies of those new and existing abattoirs processing Australian cattle.
The past decade has seen extensive support provided to the feedlotting industry throughout Asia. This was particularly important during the 1990s as many importers were developing their cattle management skills. Much of this emphasis has been replaced by an increased focus on improving animal welfare practices and related efficiencies in the livestock export supply chain.
Animal Welfare Initiatives
The Joint Program has designed a simple, halal slaughter restraining box for use in SE Asia, principally Indonesia. The ‘box’ facilitates improved animal treatment prior to and during slaughter. So far more than ten of these boxes have been installed into Indonesian abattoirs with the local industry funding a number of additional units, a testimony to their success.
The industry has revised the original design to allow for more improved animal handling operations. This redesign was funded through an R&D project with construction and support provided directly from industry. Following the success of the initial design, the Mark II box facilitates improved animal welfare practices coupled with efficiency gains for the abattoirs.
The Joint Program has developed a project in collaboration with the Veterinary Inspection Board of the Philippines to implement a cattle stunning program. MLA/Livecorp has donated three captive bolt stunners and associated equipment to selected abattoirs in and around Manila. Stunning cattle prior to slaughter will offer significant improvements in animal welfare as well as adding value to meat quality. It is anticipated that this program will be rolled out to more abattoirs in the Philippines.
Building Demand
For some time the live cattle market in the Philippines has been suffering difficulties. Overall demand is soft given the rising Australian dollar, depreciating Peso and worsening economic conditions in the Philippines. The Joint Program has addressed this issue by instigating projects that will lead to the consumer being offered a better quality product at the retail level. First, a wet market promotion and butcher competition was undertaken in a large wet meat market. Second, a retail butcher training course has commenced with participants being trained locally on all facets of the meat retailing industry.
Market Access
The Joint Program allocates a significant amount of time and resources to market access. In particular, developing, fostering and maintaining Government and industry contacts in the Asian region are critical. This work is of equal importance to both existing and emerging livestock markets. These efforts have been rewarded in Malaysia where the Joint Program’s Livestock Manager (Asia) is a member of the Malaysian Minister for Agriculture’s Livestock Advisory Committee.