Ruralco has confirmed its Frontier International live cattle export business has ceased shipping feeder and slaughter cattle to Vietnam in the wake of recent investigations into animal cruelty in certain abattoirs in the country.
The farm services company, which launched into live exporting only a few years ago, said the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources was currently auditing all Australian exporters with supply arrangements into Vietnam.
Two live cattle export businesses have apparently had their trading operations to Vietnam halted, but the second has declined to comment.
“The department has identified areas for improvement around animal control, traceability and verification processes and the industry is working to resolve these issues as an absolute priority,” a Ruralco announcement noted today.
“As part of this process the department has directed Ruralco’s live export business Frontier to cease further supply of feeder and slaughter cattle into Vietnam.”
However, Frontier was not aware of any instances of inhumane treatment of cattle in its supply chain.
Ruralco told the Australian Securities Exchange, only two future shipments to Vietnam were currently scheduled for completion in 2016-17.
“The company continues to work co-operatively with the department in relation to this matter and is well progressed on a review of its processes and reporting protocols,” its statement said.
“A number of refinements have already been made.
“Frontier takes animal welfare and its obligations under live export laws extremely seriously.”
Only last week Ruralco reported it had also lost its live export licence to export cattle from southern Australia after dairy cows it flew to Japan tested positive for Bovine Johne's Disease (BJD) when they arrived.
Frontier International Agri transports beef and dairy breeder cattle from southern Australia, while its bigger live export business, Frontier International Northern (FIN), ships from northern Australia to feedlot and slaughter markets such as Indonesia and Vietnam.
FIN handled about 80 per cent of Ruralco’s $10 million live export business last financial year.
While its consignment of dairy heifers to Japan tested negative prior to departure from Australia, the company said it was now aware certain preparation and isolation procedures within the supply chain were not adequately followed.
"A review has commenced and appropriate action will be taken once concluded."
Japanese health protection protocols are highly sensitive to BJD and authorities temporarily imposed a ban on dairy and beef cattle imports when traces of the wasting disease were detected in Holstein dairy heifers last month after the stock arrived in Japan quarantine facilities.
