August 1, 2023

Indonesia suspends live cattle imports from four Australian facilities due to lumpy skin disease

The Indonesian government has suspended live cattle imports from four Australian export facilities after detecting cases of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in livestock shipped from Australia, ABC News reported.

In response, Mark Schipp, Australia's Chief Veterinary Officer, reassured that Australia remains free of LSD, emphasising that the virus poses no risk to humans.

According to a statement from Cattle Australia, 13 cattle tested positive for LSD "a number of days after arrival in Indonesia." It's worth noting that LSD was first reported in Indonesian livestock in March of the previous year and is transmitted by insects, being highly infectious in cattle and buffalo.

Murray Watt, Australia's Agriculture Minister, confirmed that exports from the affected facilities have been halted temporarily while they undergo further testing of the animals. He assured that live cattle exports to Indonesia are continuing, and there are 28 registered establishments available for use by exporters wishing to trade.

Notably, Australia's beef supply chain is valued at almost AUD 900 million (~US$603 million; AUD 1 =US$0.67) for exports to Indonesia, and the suspension has raised concerns among Australian cattle producers.

Schipp that the Australian government is actively working with Indonesian authorities to resolve the situation promptly and restore exports from the impacted facilities.

The Australian government is keen on maintaining the longstanding cooperation with Indonesia on animal biosecurity matters. In case LSD were detected in Australia, it would halt cattle export industries and require renegotiating trade access with all importing countries, potentially causing substantial economic losses to the farming sector.

Australian cattle producers have been on high alert for LSD since it was detected on the Indonesian island of Sumatra in March 2022. Australia's Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Analysis said that there is a 28% chance of an LSD outbreak in the next five years, compared to an 11.6% risk for foot-and-mouth.

-      ABC News