Friday, 27 November 2015 15:01

Cows fly to their death

Written by Rural News Group

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

Some Australian cows are taking 13-hour flights to China before ending up on a plate.

Chinese demand for beef, which used to be called 'millionaire's meat', has grown fourfold since 2000, putting beef prices there among the most expensive in the world. Hence Elders' decision to fly the cows and milk the fresh beef market for all it's worth.

Crated and loaded onto the main deck of a Boeing 747 cargo plane by hydraulic lift, the 150 beasts this month were on Australia's first live flight to central China. Destination: the abattoir.

More like this

China No Longer Just A Commodity Story - Luxon

China remains New Zealand’s biggest market, taking $23 billion of our exports, but it’s no longer a commodity story, says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Fonterra Expands China Foodservice Business with New Anchor Essence Cream

Fonterra is strengthening its foodservice presence in China with the launch of a new cream for professional bakeries at Bakery China 2026 in Shanghai.

Diplomatic Incident

OPINION: Your old mate hears an international incident is threatening to blow up the long-standing Anzac alliance as Kiwis and Aussies argue over who wants new Australian resident and former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Birth woes

OPINION: What does the birth rate in China have to do with stock trading? Just ask a2 Milk Company.

China’s new beef tariffs expected to favour New Zealand exporters

Additional tariffs introduced by the Chinese Government last month on beef imports should favour New Zealand farmers and exporters.

Featured

Farmlands Lifts More Than Doubles Pre-Tax Profit

Farmlands has reported higher operating earnings and a profit before income tax of $4.5 million, up 118.9%, for the year ended 30 June 2026.

AgriZeroNZ Backs Methane Vaccine and Low-Emissions Ryegrass

AgriZeroNZ has invested a further NZ$17.7 million in methane vaccine developer ArkeaBio and NZ$5.1 million in BioLumic, a New Zealand-founded company that uses ultraviolet light to develop low-emissions pasture..

Fonterra Lifts Farmgate Milk Price

Good news for Fonterra farmers. The co-op has raised this season’s farmgate milk price mid-point by 25c to $9.75/kgMS.

Editorial: Support Dairy

OPINION: Political parties are getting plenty of advice and recommendations from sector groups as the election approaches.

Nedap Pen Correction: Cutting False Heat Detections

In farming there are external factors that can influence behaviour of a whole herd, such as a bad weather event, triggering false positive heat detections or health attentions.

Canterbury Farmer Urges Peers to Back Meet the Need

For Canterbury dairy farmer Cameron Henderson, supporting Meet the Need comes down to a simple question: how can the success of New Zealand farming benefit more than just those within the industry?