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Portland's record better than the rest
23 Jan 2004
Live sheep exports from Portland in Victoria had the lowest mortality rates for all shipments last Winter from Australian ports. From May to October 2003, the overall sheep mortality percentage was 1.08 per cent at Portland compared with 1.52 per cent from Fremantle and 1.10 per cent from Adelaide. Every shipment from Portland during that period was well within the 2 per cent mortality level set by industry standards.
But it will still be difficult for Portland to stop the ban on Winter exports recommended by the Keniry report into the livestock export trade. If implemented, the restriction would place huge pressure on the future of the industry from Victoria, Livecorp says. Dr Keniry defended the recommendation, saying that figures from 1997 to 2002 demonstrated that Portland was by far the worst in terms of mortalities: it had the highest level of sheep deaths on ship during the northern Summer at 2.26 per cent compared with a national average of 1.39 per cent. Livecorp said there have been considerable improvements since then which were not recognised by the Keniry report.
Stock & Land, 22/1/04.
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