Article – NTLEA's live ex Christmas bonus

5 December 2014
The Land
LIVESTOCK shipments are going full steam ahead, with five vessels in Darwin harbour ready to be loaded.
Almost 50,000 head of cattle will be loaded, destined for Indonesian and Vietnamese markets during December, according to Andrew Gray, recently appointed Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association (NTLEA) chairman.
“The vessels are taking Northern Territory prime feeder and slaughter cattle to Asian markets and will be returning to transport further shipments prior to the end of December,” he said.
Of the shipments, 33,000 head have been sourced from Northern Territory producers, returning revenue of more than $32 million to the wider economy, Mr Gray said.
The livestock fodder for these shipments contributes a further $1.3m into the local economy, he said.
NTLEA considers these exports a real boost for the Northern Territory, comprising a valuable injection for the economy before Christmas.
“The large volume shipped through the Port of Darwin mirrors last December’s record activity which followed the resumption of trade with Indonesia and is a testament to the ongoing efforts of the NT livestock exporters and the supply chain as whole to meet market requirements,” Mr Gray said.
“Implementation of the Export Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), backed up by training and audits, is continuing to help build a sound export supply chain that is engendering trust between buyers and suppliers.
“This goodwill, as demonstrated in this month of shipments, is flowing back to the pastoral industry, with the livestock exporters engaging with properties throughout northern Australia to fill these orders.”

Courtesy of The Land