Second nation suspends Australian live cattle exports

Malaysia followed Indonesia in pausing exports from four Australian facilities as authorities wait on further testing of cattle.

Last week the Indonesian Agriculture and Quarantine Agency notified Australian authorities that lumpy skin disease was detected in 13 Australian cattle that were exported to Indonesia.

Since the detection, Indonesia has suspended imports of cattle from four facilities.

Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Mark Schipp, said today officials were working to finalise the investigation into the health of the herds at the four facilities.

“Australia is urgently engaging with its Malaysian counterparts to confirm our robust animal health system, and to advise that LSD is not present in Australia,” he said.

“I have made representations to my Malaysian counterpart, requesting the import restriction on live cattle and buffalo from Australia be lifted without delay.”

Lumpy skin disease is a highly infectious viral disease that is transmitted by biting insects or parasites like flies, mosquitos and ticks.

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It’s carried by live animals and can result in animal welfare problems and “significant” production losses – it doesn’t pose a risk to humans.

Schipp said Australia has never had lumpy skin disease and remains free of the disease.

Officials had briefed the cattle industry and there was no cause for concern, he said.

Nationals leader David Littleproud told Today this morning he was confident Australia did not have any cases of the disease and cattle had probably caught it in Indonesia.

But he was worried about potential reputational damage to Australia cattle farmers.

”Our international reputation has been hard fought and we are disease-free (and) that disease-free status gives us a premium that needs to be protected,” he said.