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Live meat trade gets inside run
22 Mar 2004
A report commissioned by the WA Government claims that federal and state governments favour the live animal trade and erect barriers to the export of processed meat. The report, by the ministerial taskforce into cattle and sheepmeat processing in WA, was delivered to State Agriculture Minister Kim Chance in December; he is still considering a response.
The report questions the number of jobs created by the live export trade; says the Federal Government subsidises the services provided to live exporters by the Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service; and states that governments distort the competition between the live export trade and processed meat exporters by subjecting the processed meat sector to taxes and charges not levied on live exporters, and by requiring higher standards of the processed meat sector.
A spokesman for the Federal Agriculture Minister denied any bias towards live exporters, and said the Government offers subsidised AQIS services to both processed meat and live animal exporters.
The Australian, 22/3/04, page 4.
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