The argument that Australia can replace live sheep exports with increased domestic processing and boxed meat exports is flawed for several reasons. Australia’s meat export and live animal export industries are complementary, not interchangeable, and both play a crucial role in supporting:
✅ Market access & competition – Live export ensures Australia remains a preferred supplier in key markets.
✅ Flock sustainability – Without live export in WA, farmers lose market competition. This has a flow on impacts to flock numbers and long-term viability and commitment to sheep as part of farm business models
✅ Sustainable land use – Sheep are a valuable part of mixed farming especially in Western Australia where cropping is king. Sheep are used for managing weeds, fire mitigation and part of sustainable land management.
Live Export Opened Markets for Australian Sheepmeat
Australia’s live sheep trade played a crucial role in developing demand for our chilled and frozen sheepmeat exports. In the 1970s and 1980s, as Australian live sheep exports expanded, consumers in the Middle East developed a strong preference for the taste, flavour, and texture of fresh Australian sheepmeat.
This established trust in Australian sheep products, allowing chilled and frozen meat to enter the market more easily. Today, the region imports both live and processed sheepmeat from various countries, but live trade remains essential for several reasons.
Boxed Meat Won’t Replace Live Sheep Exports
🚫 It’s Not Either/Or – Both Are Needed
🔹 Markets already import both live and boxed sheepmeat—one does not replace the other.
🔹 The live trade serves specific market segments that chilled/frozen products cannot fully meet.
🚫 Logistical & Economic Barriers
🔹 Limited airfreight capacity – The volume of fresh carcasses required cannot be supplied solely through airfreight.
🔹 Sea freight challenges – Bone-in products have short shelf lives, making large-scale chilled supply difficult.
🚫 Case Study: Saudi Arabia
🔹 In 2011, following the Labor Government’s overnight shutdown of the live cattle trade and introduction of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), Saudi Arabia halted all live imports from Australia as they found this a sovereign insult to have Australia dictate how they managed a product they purchased.
🔹 Despite strong demand for sheepmeat, chilled/frozen meat did not fill the gap, and Saudi Arabia turned to other live suppliers, such as Sudan and Somalia.
🔹 This proves that removing live export does not automatically translate into increased boxed meat trade.
Understanding Customer Preferences
🔹 Preference for Fresh Meat
Middle Eastern consumers purchase and cook fresh meat daily, much like Australians prefer fresh seafood, bread, and milk over frozen alternatives.
✅ Live sheep are processed each morning using Halal methods and consumed fresh at lunch or dinner.
✅ The taste, texture, and cultural significance of fresh meat means frozen/chilled alternatives are not a full substitute.
🔹 Religious & Cultural Importance
For many importing countries, live sheep play a significant role in religious traditions:
✅ Halal confidence – Many consumers have greater trust in locally processed live sheep compared to imported, pre-packaged halal meat from non-Muslim countries.
✅ Religious festivals – Events like Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr require live animals for religious sacrifice, making live export essential to these markets.
The Reality: Live Export and Boxed Meat Complement Each Other
The notion that Australia can replace live sheep exports with chilled meat is unrealistic. Live export and meat export serve different segments of the market and work together to maintain Australia’s strong presence in the global sheepmeat trade.
📌 Key Takeaways:
✅ Live export opened the market for Australian chilled and frozen sheepmeat.
✅ Chilled products will not replace live trade – the markets already import both.
✅ Religious and cultural practices mean live animals are still preferred for key segments.
✅ Logistical challenges make large-scale chilled meat supply impractical.
✅ Removing live exports would weaken Australia’s position, allowing competitors with lower welfare standards to fill the gap.
Rather than pushing for an impractical phase-out, Australia should continue improving and leading in both live and boxed sheepmeat exports, ensuring long-term economic and welfare benefits for farmers, processors, and global consumers alike.
Watch this video to learn more about why live and boxed meat are complementary: