Saudi market could offer relief for WA sheep producers

With the amount of sheep available in WA and the backlog awaiting abattoir space, a new market would be a very welcome development for all involved.

The Saudi Arabian market, which has become available again, has in the past been an extremely lucrative one for the live sheep export industry, something it can be again with new protocols requiring vaccination for scabby mouth.

This reopening highlights the demand for Australian sheep in international markets.

Prior to the policy development, the live sheep trade, as well as all livestock exports from Australia had over many years undertaken an industry wide overhaul that has led to the Australian live export trade being recognised as the most humane and accountable in the world because of its strict animal welfare regulations.

Part of these regulations was the implementation of the Australian Government Export Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), a direct result of the 2011 ban of the live cattle trade to Indonesia.

ESCAS covers the supply chain into the importing market, including exporters to feedlots, abattoirs and facilities.

The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System Report 2015, explained that ESCAS is only one part of the regulation of livestock export in Australia, this backed up by two acts and another regulation.

"The Department of Agriculture regulates the export of livestock under the Export Control Act 1982, the Australian Meat and Livestock Industry Act 1997 and associated orders, regulations and standards," the report states.

"This includes the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock, version 2.3 (ASEL) and ESCAS."

ASEL covers the maintenance of animal welfare during preparation in Australia and the voyage to the importing country, while ESCAS completes the export process by ensuring maintenance of animal welfare from the point of arrival in the importing country until the time of slaughter.

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ESCAS brought the additional benefit of improving animal welfare for non-Australian livestock, by raising the profile of international animal welfare standards and improving infrastructure and training in facilities in export markets.

A WA Livestock Exporters Association (WALEA) spokesperson said Saudi Arabia had been a major export market for Australian sheep until the shipments ceased in 2012, coincidentally the last consignment into the country from Australia was immediately prior to the introduction of ESCAS in September that year.

"Saudi Arabia remains the largest importer of live animals across the Middle East and North Africa," WALEA said.

"In the absence of Australian sheep, Saudi Arabia has developed alternative supply chains, but the updated protocol requirements for scabby mouth and the available sheep present a new market opportunity for WA sheep producers.

"The potential addition of another live sheep market will be of immense benefit to WA producers at this time of uncertainty."

Maintaining high animal welfare standards for animals exported from Australia is vital to ensuring the trade's ongoing sustainability and is something that Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt was a proponent of himself up until recently.

"The live export industry continues to be a world leader in regards to animal welfare and continues to operate on a sustainable basis," Mr Watt said in June 2020.

Many have asked what changed in the almost three years since that determined the development of a policy that ends the live sheep export trade?

There has been plenty of speculation as to the government's motivation behind this policy, with the evidence in favour of the industry continuing.

In the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry ABARES Insights report, 'Australian agriculture on a roll, but where to next?', by Andrew Cameron and Jaren Greenville, it stated that, "governments and industry should continue to focus on reducing the cost of potential risks by increasing the choices and flexibility the agricultural sector has in responding to them".

Your views will help to inform planning for the phase out of live sheep exports by sea.

To have your say:

Submit your feedback by AEST 10 pm, Wednesday 31 May, 2023.

You can also register to follow this project for updates by clicking on the 'Subscribe' button.

To contact or request a meeting with the independent panel, please email livesheep.phaseout@agriculture.gov.au

This statement would seem to be in direct opposition to the cessation of an industry that provides a viable market for Australian sheep that are excess to the domestic requirements.

ABARES Insights Issue 3, 2022, states: "The 2007-08 global food crisis demonstrated that widespread export restrictions are detrimental to global food security and provide questionable benefits to domestic food price stability".

"While governments are unable to influence the global growing conditions, they can take steps to improve global food security," it said.

"Measures include proactively eliminating export restrictions and other distortions to global markets, short-term humanitarian aid and market transparency."

Key findings of the report:

Export restrictions reduce the supply of food available on world markets which leads to higher prices.

More countries are introducing export restrictions which could cause world prices to spiral higher.

Removing export restrictions increases the availability of food to the world and increases the stability of food supplies.

WA's live sheep export industry stakeholders are calling for the government to rethink the policy, or at the least provide concrete evidence that supports it, because they believe the benefits far outweigh any other reasoning.