NORTHERN Territory Cattlemen's Association president David Connolly has thrown his support behind the wholesale adoption of pain relief in the cattle industry.
Speaking during the Future Foods Conference in Darwin, Mr Connolly said the use of pain relief not only delivered better animal welfare outcomes, but also helped increase productivity.
"I would recommend that all cattlemen use Tri-Solfen, it's very cost effective and it's the right thing to do," Mr Connolly said.
"You can absolutely see a positive benefit between using it and not using it."
Mr Connolly is the general manager of the Tipperary Group of Stations, which covers 386,001 hectares south of Darwin.
The group's properties comprise of the adjoining leases Tipperary, Litchfield, and Douglas West and run about 42,000 cattle.
Mr Connolly said animal welfare on Tipperary was about using the products and animal husbandry techniques that looked after livestock in the best possible way.
"When we use Tri-Solfen we find the calves are a lot calmer, they're definitely not feeling any pain, and the calves mother up a lot quicker," he said.
"There's a definite change. Once you use Tri-Solfen you understand the difference and it will make it too hard not to use it.
"To anyone out there who is not using it, grab it, have a go at it, because will certainly see the benefit."
The Australian beef industry is working towards 100 per cent use of pain relief by 2030, in line with its commitment to becoming carbon neutral in the same year.
"Australia's beef production is among the best in the world, if not the best in the world," Mr Connolly said.
"The animals are far happier, far healthier, the beef product is much better.
"People should be content that the Australian beef industry is the most sustainable in the world."
Cattle Council of Australia released a guide to pain relief for necessary animal husbandry practices in 2020. The guide followed the release of registered pain-relief compounds, including Tri-Solfen.
The widely used pain relieving and wound healing formulation has short term and long term analgesia, an antiseptic, reduces blood loss and coats the wound.
Tri-Solfen was initially developed to provide pain relief for lambs after mulesing, but has has widely adopted throughout the livestock industry.
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