Graziers demand cruelty is ‘fixed up’

While Australia’s cattle industry reels after the exposure of brutal treatment of its exported cattle in Indonesian abattoirs, Kimberley graziers have called for action to “fix” animal cruelty.

Yeeda Pastoral Company’s Jack Burton described the treatment of the cattle shown in ABC’s Four Corners last week as “unacceptable”.

However, he said a total ban on live exports would put the livelihood of pastoralists and the State’s $250 million industry in jeopardy.

“The live export trade is what our whole business is based on – feeding the world through live export,” he said.

“It’s critical to the Kimberley – I can’t put enough emphasis on how important the trade is to us here. The industry now has a great opportunity to go back and isolate situations where it is happening.”

In favour of continuing to invest in Indonesian abattoirs to improve animal welfare standards, Mr Burton said he took a long term view and believed the Kimberley cattle industry could regain some control and advantage within the market.

“The world has more people than it can feed and whether you’re in cattle or grain, and whether it’s in five or 25 years, it’s going to come home to roost in the food industry,” he said.

Mr Burton said live export was vital to Indonesia, which relied on Australia for 25 per cent of its beef.

But, he said, the cattle industry needed to include diversification in its plans for the future – for example establishing an abattoir in the North West.

He knew how much red tape was involved in setting up an abattoir, because he was building his own to supply a niche market beef product.

But he believed the Kimberley needed to eventually reduce its live exports and introduce the export of processed meat.

Nita Downs’ Kirsty Forshaw agreed banning exports was not a practical solution to ending animal cruelty.

“As a supplier of cattle to Indonesia we are horrified at the treatment of cattle in some abattoirs,” she said.

“However if we don’t supply [compliant abattoirs] they will import from other countries with lower standards, and we lose control.

“We all need to help and support the live export industry to improve the way cattle are slaughtered in Indonesia.”

Every year 95,000 Kimberley cattle are exported through the Broome Port – which has been exceptionally busy over the past few weeks.

The Sahiwal Express exported 3000 head of Kimberley cattle out of the port for North Australian Cattle Company last Thursday, and 3700 head were loaded onto the Brahman Express for Austrex on Friday.