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
LiveCorp believes that the technical support given to trading partners is the cornerstone to raising standards of animal welfare in many countries. No other country is supporting in the region, so without Australia’s involvement, change in the Middle East will be slower.
Australian exporters and companies have developed many of the facilities used for handling Australian livestock after arrival in the region. Ideas from these have been adopted in feedlots elsewhere for local stock and other imports.
New installations and refurbishment of existing ones, both contribute to the raising of standards by introducing the latest suitable developments. Many abattoirs and feedlots across the region were installed 20 years ago – there have been some significant advances since then and the Livecorp /MLA joint-project is constantly advising on suitable developments.
- Egypt has received significant input to support for Basateen Abattoir in Cairo and changes to the wider system of meat production in the country.
- Bahrain abattoir and feedlot are currently undergoing refubishment.
Staff training across the livestock industry is essential to assist effective uptake of improved techniques. This is undeniably a major undertaking since it often involves wholesale changes to work practices.
The 2004-5 Plan includes regional training courses in -
Livestock Handling
- Livestock Nutrition
- Animal Husbandry
- Management and Planning for Agricultural Enterprises
Distance Education training in
- Livestock Nutrition
- Veterinary Public Health and Management
Regional seminars including –
- Food Security in the Middle East
- Australia as a Source of Healthy Livestock
Essential Animal Husbandry
There is much work to be done to continue the wish of livestock exporters and the producers of Australia to keep on raising the standards of animal husbandry and welfare among all our trading partners.
Education is never complete - new livestock graziers are being born every day in the Middle East and they start looking after animals before even they start school.
But our philosophy remains the historical truth –
- Trading is the cornerstone of international communication
- Trading partners will work together for mutual benefit
- Trading will improve animal welfare across the Middle East.