September 15, 2011

Australia's Northern Territory exports cattle to Vietnam

The Northern Territory recently made its first shipment of live cattle to Vietnam.

The Hai Phong Investment and Animal Poultry Products Import Export Joint Stock Company

purchased 1,000 heads which was carried by the Molunat ship.

Cattle producers in the top half of the Territory are almost solely reliant on export to Indonesia.

NT Cattlemen's Association executive director Luke Bowen called Vietnam a ``nursery'' market for the Territory. With a population of about 70 million, the country was significantly smaller than Indonesia.

He said it was probably the first "significant'' shipment to Vietnam in about a decade. "It's a very welcome shipment and hopefully with time this market will grow,'' Bowen said.

Bowen said the development bears "witness to the work of the NT Government and industry have done to nurture this market."

The deal was negotiated by the exporter South East Asian Livestock Services and the NT Cattleman's Association.

NT Resource Department livestock officer Barry Lemcke who went to Vietnam to supervise the unloading said the cattle were examined on arrival by an official Vietnamese government veterinarian.

Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig suspended the trade of live cattle to Indonesia on June 7, following an ABC Four Corners program showing cruel cattle handling practices and slaughter in some Indonesian abattoirs. The Government lifted the suspension on July 9.