Australia welcomes end of Indonesian cattle import ban

CANBERRA - The Australian government has welcomed a decision by Indonesian authorities to lift import restrictions on live cattle and buffalo from the country.

Australia's Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Department (DAFF) said on Saturday that it has reached an agreement with the Indonesian Agriculture and Quarantine Agency (IAQA) to lift with immediate effect a ban on live exports from seven facilities across northern Australia, reported Xinhua.

The temporary ban was implemented in July and extended earlier in September after authorities in Indonesia detected lumpy skin disease (LSD) in live cattle imported from Australia.

Australian authorities have maintained the country is free of LSD, which can cause decreased milk production, growth issues and death in cattle and buffalo.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said in a statement on Saturday that the end of the ban was a testament to Australia's "calm and considered" response to the issue.

"I want to thank everyone who played their part in getting this resolution, including the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and their departmental officials," he said.

"And I thank our friends in Indonesia for their assistance to resolve this issue, so that this mutually beneficial trade can now resume."

According to DAFF data, Australia exported 600,024 head of live cattle in 2022 - down from 1.3 million in 2019.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that approximately 300,000 of those cattle were exported to Indonesia. - BERNAMA-XINHUA