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SPECIAL REPORT
Tip of the iceberg
By Samantha Tennent
Earlier this year the Government announced a ban on live cattle exports and allowed for a two-year phase-out period, but those involved in the industry believe the ban is the wrong move.
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decision made by the Government to ban livestock exporting by sea from New Zealand could have destructive implications for the wider dairy sector. Exporters have concerns about the long-term impacts of the ban, knowing they will extend across farmers and throughout the supply chain and have potential trade ramifications, but the full impacts are not fully understood yet. The Government claims the controversial practice has been banned due to allegations surrounding animal welfare. “It’s about animal welfare, we’ve made some changes but it still hasn’t enabled us to guarantee good animal welfare standards on the boats,” Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said when he announced the ban. “And the voyage times to our northern hemisphere markets will always pose animal welfare challenges.” The sector was given a phase-out period of two years before the ban takes place in 2023. But the export sector is up in arms about the decision. Especially after two reviews into the trade have been carried out in recent years recommending the practice should continue with some modifications. The first was instigated by MPI following concerns of deaths connected to new farming ventures in Sri Lanka in 2019 and the second was an independent review carried out by Michael Heron QC and Rear Admiral Tony Parr after the sinking of the Gulf Livestock 1 cattle export ship in 2020. “I acknowledge the economic benefit some farmers get from the trade, but I also note that support of it is not universal within the sector,” he says. “There is split opinion about its long-
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Veterinarian Charlotte Harris wanted to see if live exports were as bad as media reported so went along on a voyage and was convinced there is nothing wrong with the practice.
term value and how it fits with the story we want to tell internationally to consumers.” O’Connor says the review submission from the independent National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) who advises ministers on animal welfare issues, recommended that the practice should stop. And he said officials had spoken to key trading partners about the decision. “I recognise the importance of our trade relationships with our international partners and we’re committed to working with them as we transition away from the shipment of livestock,” he says. Mark Willis is the chair of the Animal Genetic Trade Association (AGTA) who represent the interests of the livestock export and germplasm industries and
he struggles to understand the rationale behind the ban. “Yes, we have our international reputation to uphold, but this decision from the Government will do more harm than good to our reputation,” Willis says. He highlights the growing Chinese agricultural community is closely linked to livestock imports, with some of the biggest agricultural companies in China forming their relationships through livestock exports from NZ. “We’ve watched the sales of New Zealand whole milk powder grow exponentially since the start of livestock exports to China and we are concerned if those customers start forming relationships with other countries to obtain cattle for their domestic farming operations,” he says. “Because if they start developing other
DAIRY FARMER
November 2021
26/10/21 12:55 PM
