So nice to see that everybody's managed to move on from poor Collette.

Yabby, for Heavens sake, no-one buys those arguments (religion, refrigeration) any more, evidenced by the massive amounts of frozen Australian meat sent to these countries. And from what we have seen of the film footage there is nothing halal about the slaughter there either. Have you heard of electrical stunning, by any chance?

Furthermore, the live export trade is NOT assailed by the costs of the processing sector - AQIS fees are waived, yet the processing sector has to pay them. Payroll tax, WCI and other labour costs are minimal because the numbers employed in that sector in this country are minimal. Local processors have to pay those on-costs. The number of wharfies employed is trivial, and you can't really count the doctors, dentists, accommodation and hospitality workers like the Hassall Report/s do/does, including the people working at the cafes where the transporters buy their fags.

All the ships are foreign owned with foreign crews from third world countries.

As for the price differentials between west and east, if the west is as advanced as you claim, surely there are one or two people over there with enough fundamental intelligence, and some entrepreneurial ability to address that.

Nicky

Nicky, for heavens sake, what arguments you buy or don't buy are
frankly irrelevant. It is what the Arab consumer buys or does not
buy and why, that matters. Now if a vet at the main slaughterhouse
in Kuwait states that what we do in Austrlia is not halal and that is
why some consumers buy locally slaughteted meat, he clearly knows far
more about those reasons then you do. Its an argument I have heard
before. I remind you that interpretation of religious beliefs is
a personal choice, much as where people spend their money.
So different people have different opinions, just like in Australia.

Locally slaughtered meat is not cheap, sheep landed in the ME are
not cheap. Clearly people choose to buy that meat for their own
reasons. You would not last long in a marketing business, if
you wanted to tell customers what they should or should not buy.
That is up to them.

Of course live shippers pay AQIS fees. AQIS is about fee for service
and as no detailed carcass inspection is involved in live exports,
there is no need for that service.

If anybody wants to go ahead and build more meatworks in WA, they
are free to do so. So far most have backed off, due to much Govt
red tape. A past Govt held Roger Fletchers hand to get established,
this Govt, as it does not need country votes to stay in office,
won't do it. So none get built and entrepreneurs walk away.

As to the Australian economy, if farmers are spending 60$ per head
sold rather then 20$, that increase in spending would generate
huge benefits for rural communities. No wonder that MLA, backed
by 45'000 voting farmers, promotes both trades, meat and live.

Yabby,
Having retired from grazing for some years now I do not keep up with current trends or prices. Last I saw was that live export quality wethers sold in the paddock were bringing far more than if I had taken them to auction. This is in NSW and the farmer may have to retain the sheep for a short time while trucking is arranged. This usually was not a problem.

While ever that situation continues live exporters will get suitable sheep. We have a lot of cast for age sheep to dispose of each and every year and farmers need to get the best price for them that they can. I do not think anyone would deny them that.

Banjo
Nice to see you as an x farmer care about burning the feathers off live chooks. I hate to tell you but no its here.

To your question
Yabby always said Rodger had a hand out from the Government but he's a one man band.
Still a meat and potato man who thinks for himself. Probably not telling you anything you didn’t know already. Still thinking for him. =
http://theland.farmonline.com.au/news/state/agribusiness-and-general/general/trains-for-meat-grain/812759.aspx

Pity there was not more like him instead of this new age commercial lot who don’t feel any responsibility towards supplying employment for country towns or loyalty to Australia. Such men are a dying race.

There are many factors to your question Banjo.

*I do not think anyone would deny them that*
So we must look at doing the best deal 'without' the middle man. Farmers taking control over this mongrel Government and the system that have pretended the look after them. Yabbys right about the red tape and if we want it fixed we need more farmers and Animal Welfare groups putting alternatives on the table. These people need to work together and sadly I feel it’s too late for that to happen. (Too much damage as some people blames the farmers instead of the Government doing their dirty trade deals with their buddies in the industry.

If you want the truth Banjo I feel if it’s been left too late to stop live exports from Australia. There have been too many missed opportunities.
Instead of plants being build here as agreed hey will now be in Malaysia Indonesia...
A world wide Halal accreditation through ICI has been put into place. Australia could have easily ensured those plants and more were built here but nobody cared to push that line.
Most said don’t eat meat at all playing into the hands of the opposition, others simply did not have the right advisers to fully understand the unique opportunity. Knowledge of the meat industry is vital if you want farmers to listen to new ideas and projects.

Yes, Yabby, we have seen plenty of evidence of what goes on in Kuwait regarding Halal slaughter. A Kuwaiti vet in a Kuwaiti slaughterhouse is going to say what he is paid to say, just like your "experts" here do.

Banjo, may I ask if you were involved in the live animal export trade?

PALE, no animal advocacy group is directing people not to eat meat, as I have pointed out countless times before. They oppose cruelty, in a;; the forms it takes. They rely on the support of their members, most of whom would be meat eaters. I suspect that what they drew the line at was PROFITEERING from slaughtering animals, according to your model. and possibly the bullying that has gone on.

Nicky