Live Export important role
The livestock export trade is vital to provide marketing options for sheep and cattle producers and competition for their livestock.
In Australia, it is an important contributor to agricultural export earnings and to the economics of rural and regional areas. The livestock trade employs 13,000 people across rural and regional Australia.
In 2010 export earnings for Australia exceeded $1 billion for the second year running and has been valued at A$1 billion a year in export earnings for Australia since 2005.
Live export provides an important market for many livestock producers and Wellard is proud to be the link between agricultural producers and the market place all around the world.
It has been argued that Australia should replace its live exports with exports of beef, mutton and lamb. That argument fails to recognise that if Australia stopped exporting to these countries, they would source the sheep and cattle from other countries which fall well short of Australia’s animal welfare conditions and standards.
Australian and State Government regulations ensure strict animal welfare conditions are adhered to, and Australia has the most stringent regulations in the world.
Wellard is working diligently with the rest of the Australian live export industry to lift animal welfare standards across the world.
More information about the live export trade is available at www.mla.com.au and www.livecorp.com.au.