Last time we were stupid enough to ban live exports our customers started buying from Canada and Brazil.
Importer Kuwait-based Al Mawashi jittery over Australian sheep trade doubts
Australia’s biggest live sheep customer has confirmed it has started looking elsewhere for supply, amid suggestions Australia could stop the trade.
Kuwait-based Al Mawashi, known as Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading Company, warned there could be wider ramifications for Australian agricultural commodities such as meat and grain imports.
Al Mawashi, which has imported Australian live sheep for the past 40 years, buys up to two-thirds of the 1.8 million head of live sheep exported annually, in an industry worth $250 million a year.
Al Mawashi chief executive Osama Boodai said that his company wanted to continue importing Australian sheep.
“But our food security needs and the doubts about Australian sheep exports means Al Mawashi is already looking to find other secure sources of livestock,” he said.
But Mr Boodai confirmed that even a summer ban could lead to retaliation.
“This could also bring into question the significant volumes of fodder we import for feeding Australian sheep in our feedlots, as well as the chilled and frozen sheep meat we also import,” he said.
Although Al Mawashi had not yet sought replacement live sheep contracts with alternative sources, it is eyeing countries such as Somalia and Romania.
Even a summer ban — also flagged by State Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan — could open the door to year-round competition.
“We need a reliable, 12-month-a-year supply, and if we can’t get it from Australia, we’ll be forced to look elsewhere — not just for the summer, but for the whole year,” Mr Boodai said.
“We need stable markets, to keep our ships running and our feedlots and abattoirs operational. The market is not something we can simply turn on and off like a tap.”
https://thewest.com.au/business/agriculture/importer-kuwait-based-al-mawashi-jit... 
Forum
Pages: 1 
