News milk
New Zealand bans live cattle exports
New Zealand plans to ban live cattle exports. This export flow will be phased out over the next 2 years. According to Agriculture Secretary Damien O'Connor, the key to the decision was the country's desire to uphold its reputation for animal welfare.
A number of incidents concerning the export of live cattle caused a discussion about the sustainability of these transports for years. The immediate reason for the decision was an investigation that was launched after a ship carrying nearly 6.000 head of cattle to China sank last September. All animals and 41 of the 43 crew members died in this shipping disaster.
Live cattle exports were temporarily suspended immediately after the disaster. Ultimately, the drama turned out to be the proverbial straw for the New Zealand government. This after several times in the previous years that animal welfare, especially in the destination country, was often seriously deficient.
In 2020, New Zealand exported more than 113.000 dairy cows. The vast majority of these animals were sold to China. The export of live animals for slaughter was already banned in 2008.
Dairy cattle for China
Live cattle exports mainly concern breeding stock for Chinese dairy farms. The demand for this livestock is on the rise. China does not produce enough dairy and is therefore strongly dependent on imports. By importing a lot of working livestock, China is trying to support its own dairy production. China imported 78.000 live cattle in January and February of this year. This was twice as many as in the first 2 months of 2.
'Kick in the balls'
The spokesman for the New Zealand Trade Organization for Animals and Genetics (ATC), Dave Hayman, was clear in his response to the news. He said the decision is a 'kick in the butt' for the agricultural sector. Moreover, the decision would be based on bad information and only serve for short-term political gain. He went on to say that at least 5.000 farms will be financially affected by the decision. Especially at a time when they so desperately need the lucrative export to China. Farmers are already missing income due to drought and low beef prices. In addition, farmers face high administrative costs and expenditure on new regulations, Hayman said.
Steve Wissink
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