WORKING through regulatory challenges brought about by COVID-19 has reinforced the effective collaboration between northern Australian cattle producer organisations.
That's the view of The Northern Australian Livestock Export Working Group (NALEWG), which was formed in September 2018 and is a collaboration between AgForce Queensland Farmers Limited (AgForce), the Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen's Association (KPCA), the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association (NTCA), the Northern Territory Livestock Exporters' Association, the Queensland Livestock Exporters' Association (QLEA), the Cattle Council of Australia and the Australian Livestock Exporters' Council.
NALEWG chairman Will Wilson, a central Queensland cattle producer and president of the AgForce Cattle Board, said "COVID-19 has brought with it regulatory challenges across Northern Australia".
"Working through those collectively has reinforced the effectiveness of collaboration between our organisations," Mr Wilson said.
"As we bed down things here, discussions concerning market conditions are now becoming increasingly important.
"Monitoring short to medium-term demand across South East Asia is vital for cattle producers and exporters to make decisions about what to do next."
NALEWG's initial focus was to develop cross-sector submissions to livestock export regulatory reviews, including most recently the review of the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock.
The scope of the group has expanded to include industry briefings on emergent issues in northern cattle exports to South East Asia.
QLEA president Greg Pankhurst has spent 30 years working in the Indonesian cattle industry, during which time he established the JJAA feedlot in Lampung, before recently returning to Australia.
"The importance of working with our trading partners during this period cannot be understated and sets a solid foundation for the implementation of the Indonesian-Australian Free Trade Agreement as of July," Mr Pankhurst said.
"Having spoken with cattle importers in Indonesia it's clear that in the short to medium-term there are going to be some challenges in the market.
"But the resilience of the Indonesian people is remarkable.
"If we can work collectively here in Australia to understand these challenges and try and assist our trading partners where we can, we'll see the benefit in the long run."
Mr Pankurst said the period leading into Eid (May 23, 2020 - breaking of the fast as part of Ramadan) will give the industry a better idea of the effect of COVID-19 restrictions in Indonesia.
"From there we will hopefully be able to chart a course back to the new normal," he said.
"But until then uncertainty is likely to remain a strong influence on demand."
NTCA president Chris Nott said his organisation had longstanding ties with members of the Indonesian Cattle industry and through its NTCA Indonesia Australia Pastoral Program "we've brought more than 100 students from Indonesia to cattle stations in the NT".
"We've worked hard at building relationships between us and our trading partners in Indonesia," Mr Nott said.
"A culture of collaboration where we can look to optimise operations both here and overseas offers a pathway for the future of the industry.
"To be frank, we rely on each other.
"Without a profitable industry in Indonesia, our job here becomes much harder."
Northern Australia cattle producers have begun mustering to get this year's turn-off ready for market.
KPCA chief executive Emma White said that "given the significant turn off last year due to ongoing dry seasonal conditions in Northern WA, this meant live export shipments started in February/March".
"This year the first vessels haven't departed Wyndham and Broome until April 2020," Ms White said.
"Overall however turnoff/live export numbers are expected to be lower than 2019 while the herd across Northern WA is rebuilt."
NALEWG sees producers and exporters as equally invested in developing a sustainable and ethical industry that is supported by effective regulation, strong animal welfare principles, and ultimately animal welfare outcomes.
The key point of difference with NALEWG is that it provides a producer's perspective, in collaboration with the live export industry, and operates from a platform continuing to care about the welfare of animals in the country of destination and beyond a sale transaction occurring from producers to agents/exporters.
The live cattle export trade makes a vital contribution to regional economies and communities across Northern Australia.
On average from 2012 to 2019, just over one million head of cattle, worth $1.2 billion, are exported each year to 23 countries and the live export industry employs around 10,000 people (on-farm and off-farm).
This includes significant Aboriginal employment.
Any supply chain disruptions to the trade not only have food security impacts for our international trading partners but also flow on beyond producers and live exporters more broadly to transport companies, fodder suppliers, livestock agencies, export companies, shipping contractors, port operators, veterinarians and financial service industries amongst others.
