A WORLD-FIRST trial into inter-vessel connectivity in the livestock export industry is being run by Australian operators.
It draws on Norwegian technology developed on remote oil rigs.
Chairman of the live export research and development corporation, LiveCorp, Troy Setter, outlined the research at senate estimates hearings in Canberra last week.
He said inter-vessel connectivity was a problem the industry needed to solve to take advantage of the growing number of automation and data collection solutions being developed in the animal health and welfare technology space.
"Even though year-on-year our mortality rates continue to decline we will not rest with our goal of improving animal welfare," he said.
"The future of our industry is partially going to be led by digital and innovative solutions."
Mr Setter, and LiveCorp chief executive officer Sam Brown, appeared before the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee.
Declining terms of trade due to reduced supply of Australian livestock, which had led to very high prices, was a key challenge at the moment, they reported.
Mr Brown said this was leading to a significant downturn in export volumes.
From 1.3 million head of cattle and 1.12m sheep being exported in 2019, the forecast for the 2021/22 financial year was just over 700,000 head of cattle, 550,000 sheep, 88,000 dairy cattle and 9000 goats.
To put the rising costs of livestock in perspective, Mr Setter explained that his time of year wethers in Western Australia would typically sell for $75 to $90 a head, but today were making $200.
"In Darwin, for some classes of cattle, we've seen a 50 per cent increase in price, and in others 20 to 30pc," he said.
"We compete in a global meat market and the end price hasn't lifted to that level.
"India continues to produce very cheap red meat and that is challenging us in key markets."
COVID-19 impacts on travel and client relationships, and the opening and closing of operating markets, also continued to have an impact on the trade.
Fatigue management was an issue where significant support measures had been developed.
Because stockmen, veterinarians and other Australian workers on ships had not been able to access return flights as was the typical practice after a voyage, many had to travel back home on ships. They then have only 24 hours in port to refresh before the ship sails again, compared to a usual 30-day break.
Other key challenges facing the live-ex trade include regulatory adjustments and cost, uncertainty over the sheep trade, the body of reviews before the industry - both current and planned, currency fluctuations and fuel price increases, Mr Setter reported.
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