Crackcup:

...You are here amongst hardcore pragmatists. All evidence suggests there is little mercy for stupidity in the halls of OLO. One must retreat on occasions to lick wounds and reassess the next (if any) step in presenting an argument from a more realistic position; a position that suits the audience you address. We all, in OLO, go there at times, so good luck with your quest.

Custard, not unlike Crackup, seems not to give others thoughts much value.
Brazil, indeed USA would gladly fill orders for live Cattle, maybe other country's too.
The EU if it could,would be able to under cut us on subsidized chilled beef.
We get the trade because of costs, rememberer no meat not killed Halal style is wanted, so not every Abattoirs can supply.
Crackup just have another look at your every word here in just this thread.
Then read mine and those you defame.
If you can not see room for self improvement I am sorry,, for you.

Belly, the supply of beef is not unlimited even worldwide. We used to be able to compete quite well with the same Countries you mention, yet so much has changed? The EU is not going to be able to undercut our prices on chilled beef, it costs them more to raise per head than we can sell it in sides. South America has awesome capacity, then again, so do we.

Explain why South America isn't undercutting us on live-exports if they can do so so very easily? Why South America is the chief supplier of chilled/processed beef, not live cattle? Is it because their Governments, well known for their interest in the living conditions of their citizens, refuse to export the same? Or perhaps that they haven't shut down over 3/4 of their meat processing facilities, preferring to sell packed meat and keep the jobs? A lot of families here where driven to the wall by the advent of "Live Exports", your original argument, that the killing is just as inhumane fails, so now you suggest price?

No, provided the Companies involved in gouging prices are precluded from continuing to export livestock, there is a chance that we could rebuild our meat processing capacity. We have the capacity to provide a better quality product, at a better price than anyone else. Australian beef was preferred many places due to the controls that had been placed on the production thereof, the lack of diseases (which is another problem the EU suffers from as does South America) and the strict quarantine procedures. Now we sell top quality livestock to the Countries that used to eat goat not beef. We do so because there is a better profit margin, not because there is no market for Quality product.

Our Farming Conglomerates simply realised there was more money per beast on the hoof, than there was processed. There was a much bigger market, because we could sell it so cheaply. Cheap and nasty where our catchwords were Good Price & Quality, what a waste.

*Explain why South America isn't undercutting us on live-exports if they can do so so very easily?*

Just look at a map Custard, that will answer your question. The
sailing time from Aus to Indonesia or the ME is a great deal shorter.

Besides, Australian on farm prices are not the problem, Australian
processing costs are the problem.

Screwing on farm prices lower is not going to do it for you either.
When I moved to this area of the world, there were around 15000
farmers. There are now a touch over 4000. High local costs
have already sent enough to the wall.

Custard I under stand you are quite intelligent.
But you need to look again at those who differ with your views.
Free trade, and the term world trade, has changed much, but EU in fact subsidizes near every farm product.
At times it held massive meat butter and other stores.
Charges have been made they dump, that is cut their loss by selling at a loss, against free trade.
America,or even south America, can use dumping tactics to start a trade,it happens.
You surely, are aware these folk want to kill [for price and religion] their own purchases.
It just has to be said chilled meat is secondary if at all, on the purchase list.
Now do they have the right to buy as they wish.
If not maybe we should ignore free and fair world trade, import Bananas to bring our prices down and kill our local growers.
Complex issues need complex answers.
We are better for the airing of this cattle will be too but again how did the cameras get into see such Ba&^ardry in practice.

Yabby >>MLA have clearly made mistakes. So rectify those mistakes, make something good come out of all of this, not stick your head in
the sand and create other problems that you haven't even thought
of

The entire MLA boad should be sacked, along with those on the cattlemens union who were, or ought to have been, aware of this practice.

There are those who say MLA are making progress. They have had 9 or 10 years to make progress and it is only now that the heat is on that they are acting.

Not only have they been funding this debarcle, but they have also been aware of the problem for years and done litterally nothing, until now.

Heads must roll!

The reaction of the government is harmfull to our trade. What they should do is, as suggested, provide stun guns.

The export meat market of these cattle is weak, due to the high dollar, so we can ill afford to hurt these farmers.

Just remember, a small farm in the NT is about one million acres, so to run these without income will be impossible.