THE Al Kuwait left Fremantle Port on the weekend on its first voyage under the new name and ownership of Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading (KLTT) after the company took ownership of the vessel at the end of March.
KLTT had been leasing the former Ocean Shearer from Wellard until the purchase was finalised for almost $90 million.
The Al Kuwait is the biggest purpose-built livestock carrier in the world and is faster on the water than other vessels in KLTT's fleet, meaning it has a faster turnaround time for exporting.
It joins the fleet consisting of the ageing twin-tiered vessel the Al Shuwaikh, and the Al Messilah.
KLTT's Perth based subsidiary Rural Export and Trading WA (RETWA) loaded 60,183 sheep and 910 head of cattle on the Al Kuwait before it departed for the Gulf ports of Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar.
RETWA managing director Mike Gordon said it was a busy period for the company leading up to the moratorium on live exports that kick in from the end of May.
The company has three planned voyages in the next six weeks with the Al Messilah expected in the next two weeks followed by the Al Shuwaikh, which has just finished a voyage from South Africa, and then the Al Kuwait again.
Each voyage is expected to take between 60,000-65,000 head of sheep and those vessels that are able will also include from 300-1000 head of cattle.
Mr Gordon said the Al Kuwait provided "flexibility" for the company with its "ability to turn around in a month rather than five weeks".
It also enables the company to put a vessel in dry dock for maintenance and still be able to supply its markets while loading out of Australia.
"With two ships we struggled with capacity when maintenance was needed to be undertaken," Mr Gordon said.
He said the Al Shuwaikh was also "on its last legs" with possibly two years before it would be retired.
Mr Gordon said the live export trade was showing its value with the limited number of flights leaving Perth for the Gulf and the lack of air freight capability for chilled or frozen meat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Australian Livestock Exporters' Council chief executive officer Mark Harvey-Sutton said the consistent demand for seaborn protein from Australia "doesn't surprise me" and he hoped that the industry could "put a few more ships through" before the moratorium began.
"It is reflective of the demand increasing in those markets because of the challenge in supplying meat due to the constraints on air freight," Mr Harvey-Sutton said.
"Because of that there's increased demand on seaborn freight.
"In some ways it has become more important for countries to get their produce by sea - to get fresh protein into those markets."
Mr Harvey-Sutton said "most of our chilled and frozen lamb (for the Middle East) goes on passenger planes".
He said the investment by KLTT to purchase the Al Kuwait was "good" for the industry and showed that "there is still strong demand" for live export.
"Demand is still strong and we are confident that it will continue," he said.
