Pastoralists form trade plan

After “crisis talks” and delegations to Canberra, Kimberley pastoralists are now confident they are weeks away from re-establishing their live cattle trade exports to Indonesia.

Every day they were unable to trade in live cattle to Indonesia, following the ban, meant a complete loss of income for many pastoralists including Haydn and Jane Sale of Yougawalla.

They travelled over the past week with fellow Kimberley pastoralist Malcolm Harris to visit Federal ministers, including Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig, and said they were optimistic trade could resume within weeks.

“We asked what we could do to help get things going – and now we think we’re pretty close,” Mrs Sale said.

“We believe Ludwig and other politicians are aware of the urgency now.”

The State has supported pastoralists by pressuring the Federal Government, with Premier Colin Barnett claiming the ban put the industry back some 30 years, with WA Agriculture Minister Terry Redman visiting Indonesia last week.

Back in Broome, last Thursday some 300 pastoralists and people who work in all facets of the live cattle export industry descended on Roebuck Plains Station to create plans to re-establish its trade with Indonesia. Rather than focus on financial woes, they honed strategic plans to improve live export practices.

Jack Burton, of Yeeda Pastoral Company, said the industry was taking its opportunity to fix the problems.

“We, as producers, need to become responsible for animal welfare – a side in which we feel let down to a point,” Mr Burton said.

Their plan includes urgent development of supply chain assurances.

Mr Burton said this would mean working with Indonesia to introduce the national livestock identification tag system, allowing producers to track each beast from paddock to truck, ship to feedlot and, eventually, to slaughter.

The Pastoralists and Graziers Association, which ran the meeting, said the gathering had “lit a fuse” among WA’s cattle producers as industry forums continue throughout the State.

PGA pastoral and livestock executive officer Ian Randles said it was great so many took time and made long trips to have their say.

“The Broome meeting has lit a fuse which is now burning its way through the Mid West,” he said.

“The PGA is now preparing for a similar industry forum in Geraldton on Friday, which we hope will attract people from throughout the Wheatbelt, the Murchison and even the far north Gascoyne.”

Meanwhile, compensation was not fully addressed, but there were calls for its discussion at the Broome meeting.