THE Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) has welcomed the historic first seaborne shipment of live slaughter cattle to China, which left Portland on Saturday.
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The consignment of 1200 cattle will be delivered to Shidao in the northern Shandong Province under the new health protocol agreement for feeder and slaughter cattle signed between Australia and China.
ALEC chairman Simon Crean said the opening up of the China market for feeder and slaughter cattle reflected the growing global demand for live animals as a source of protein.
“This exciting emerging market is built on the values Australia shares with China around biosecurity, traceability, welfare and an appreciation for high-quality cattle and beef,” Mr Crean said.
He said the trade in beef cattle to China for slaughter was governed by the health and quarantine conditions contained in the protocol agreement and the regulatory conditions set out in the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) and the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS).
“Importantly, the strong commercial interest from Chinese customers for Australian cattle has been matched by their commitment to invest in purpose-built, ESCAS-compliant feedlots and abattoirs in-market, and in cooperating with Australian exporters in overseeing the early development of the trade,” Mr Crean said.
The mostly Angus cattle, sourced by Elders from producers in Victoria and South Australia, averaged 500 kilograms liveweight. They will be processed within 14 days of arrival in China, under the supervision of Australian livestock export specialists, with beef to be supplied to high-end retailers including restaurants and hotels.
Elders chief executive officer Mark Allison said that considering the current high prices in the domestic cattle market, the shipment signified the demand in China for high quality Australian beef.
Sourced entirely through Elders’ networks in Victoria and South Australia, the shipment consisted of mainly Black Angus cattle, aged between 18 and 24 months, weighing an average of 500kg.
Cattle producers Bobby and Georgina Mann of Mortlake supplied more than 100 head of steers and heifers for the shipment and said the trade was another competitive selling option.
“With many parts of the country experiencing exceptional seasonal conditions, a large number of cattle have exceeded weight thresholds for feedlot entry,” Mr Mann said.
“For us, the shipment to China was a timely option to sell steers, which would normally have been sent to a feedlot or processor,” he said.
