Election Year Curse?
OPINION: The coalition Government seems to have chickened out when it comes to live animal exports by sea.
Two Chinese state-owned enterprises want the Government to continue live cattle exports, which are due to be banned from April next year.
The Primary Production select committee is currently considering the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, which amends the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to ban the export of livestock by sea.
China Animal Husbandry Group, which owns an 18% share of infant formula producer Mataura Valley Milk near Gore, and a 68.88% of Bodco near Hamilton, made a submission seeking the continuation of exports of breeding cattle to China.
The Government is signalling that it won't be budging from the decision to ban live cattle exports but don't count the Chinese out yet.
