By Feifei

In June, the federal government has suspended live cattle exports to Indonesia after a confronting report on the ABC’s Four Corners which revealed mistreatment of Australian cattle in Indonesian abattoirs. In response to this outcry across Australia, Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig initially suspended live cattle exports to the 11 abattoirs exposed in the report. He also placed a moratorium (a momentarily freeze) on the use of Australian-supplied metal restraining boxes used during slaughter.

Cattle from countries like Indonesian have mistreated their cattle in their abattoirs The federal government has suspended live cattle exports but not banned Cattle have been shown to be beaten and kicked Some had legs and tails broken, eyes and noses gouged Other cows also endured prolonged, painful deaths Cattle are exported live because places like Indonesia has no access to refrigeration Australian exporters have always shipped live cattle to Indonesia since 1993 in a scheme underpinned by Australian taxpayers The cattle are routinely fattened on Indonesia feedlots before being slaughtered Indonesia now receives more than $300 million of Australia’s live cattle exports Australia use metal restraining boxes to restrain animals so they can be stunned quickly and accurately before slaughter Stunning is considered to be the most humane way of killing cattle In Indonesia, only a handful of abattoirs use the stunning method Many farmers were outraged at the barbaric trade People have an ethnical responsibility to care for animals The government only spurred to action as a result of animal welfare agencies and media The company said that it had delivered half its quota of live cattle exports to Indonesia for 2011 before the federal government banned the trade but the chief executive, Malcolm Jackson, is confident that the trade will start up again in the future

The ban would cripple the cattle industry and flood the domestic market with export beef, driving down prices Impacts the economy Banning the exports would affect the livelihood of beef producers and transporters here, as well as Indonesia Some people could lose their jobs Meat workers in Indonesia could lose their jobs The Indonesian live cattle market represents 47% ($320 million) of the Australian total live cattle trade The Australian Agriculture Company has posted a half-year loss of more than $12 million in the six months to June Export bans have been lifted for nearly three weeks but Luke Bowen from the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association says the damage to the industry is still spreading People don’t have the money to pay the bills The cattle industry will pay $5 million to feed and water livestock affected by the suspension of live exports to Indonesia Caused long term financial damage to some beef producers

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