Australian Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke said he has signed on Friday a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia on live cattle export. Burke has stopped off in Alice Springs direct from Middle East trade talks. He has given an address at the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association conference, where he said a big part of his international trip was expanding the live-cattle export industry. Burke said he told Middle Eastern representatives about the strength of the Australian agriculture industry, and is securing memorandums of understanding with governments there. “I signed one of those agreements in Saudi Arabia and there's another agreement that we nearly have arrived at a landing place with,” he said. “There's probably a couple of weeks of discussions to go in Bahrain.” Burke also told the cattlemen's conference he will stand side by side with the industry to defend Australia. He said he is proud of the industry and believes animal welfare standards are very high. He said he is committed to its continued improvement of the country's cattle industry. Earlier, the New Zealand government said it intends to end the six-year moratorium on live sheep exports to the Kingdom, but added that it will have to be assured the animals are properly treated on the trip to Saudi Arabia and when they get there. New Zealand Agriculture Minister David Carter has confirmed shipments would resume under those conditions. TV3 News reported on Tuesday the sheep were being bred for export in Napier by a company majority-owned by Saudi Arabian interests. “There's a particular breed of sheep Saudi Arabia was interested in obtaining,” Carter said. “If we can provide the security and safety around the arrangement with the Saudi Arabian government, I see it as being another opportunity.” He said live sheep would not leave the country unless there was an assurance of their treatment on the water and when they arrived in Saudi Arabia. Live sheep exports were stopped in 2004 after 5,000 sheep died on an Australian ship bound for Saudi Arabia, provoking international protest and disgust. TV3 News said the demand for live sheep was now greater than ever, driven by the Haj season.
