April 25, 2014
Australia ships big shipment of cattle to Russia
A lucrative export business has suddenly opened up for southern Australian farmers, with shipments of 35,000 live young Angus cattle in Adelaide and Portland bound for Russia, the Australian reports.
The order, estimated to be worth between US$23.17 million and US$27.81 million, is the largest single contract for live cattle ever from southern Australia.
It is also the first contract for cattle that are to be fattened in Russia and eaten for meat, with all past shipments of live cattle to Europe having been for breeding purposes.
The unexpectedly large shipment has been filled with year-old weaner steer (male) cattle from South Australia, Victoria and southern New South Wales, all bought from farmers by agents from Landmark, Elders and Perth-based Livestock Shipping Services, which is organising the consignment.
The purchaser is Russia's biggest meat producing and importing agribusiness, Miratorg, with the Australian cattle to be shipped into ports on the Black Sea.
One of the world's largest animal ships, the 200m-long MV Nada, will be loaded today and over the weekend with 17,000 cattle in Adelaide, while the converted car carrier the MV Ghena is waiting alongside to be loaded with another 10,000 head.
The MV Brahman Express is due into the Victorian western port city of Portland late on Sunday, where it will be loaded with 4100 head of cattle.
Miratorg's unprecedented live cattle order preceded the unexpected announcement by Russia early this month that it was banning all imports of chilled and frozen beef from Australia.
Russian authorities claimed the ban was because they had detected small amounts of the banned hormonal growth promotant trenbolone in chilled and frozen beef from Australia, but Australian testing found no evidence of trenbolone.
