Indonesia may be on verge of temporarily suspending live cattle exports from Australia, a leaked email from the government live export regulatory authority to exporters says.
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ACM has been provided with a copy of the email from Andrew McDonald, the first assistant secretary for live animal exports, welfare and regulation at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to dozens of businesses involved in the live animal trade.
Titled "Heads up: be ready as best you can, as soon as you can be please", the email says it is Mr McDonald's professional judgement that the Indonesian Quarantine Authority is highly likely to impose some form of temporary trade suspension on live cattle exports from Australia.
"What form this precisely takes and how encapsulating the temporary suspension might be is impossible to judge at this point. Our significant hope is that it does not happen or is at least highly targeted," the email says.
The ABC is reporting that Indonesia has already temporarily suspended one registered premises from being a cattle supplier, however ACM has not been able to confirm that with DAFF or exporters at this stage.
Inquires are in with both.
Mr McDonald emphasised in the email that it was not designed to raise panic.
"My simple intention is to forewarn so that you can all consider any contingency planning that may be commercially possible," he wrote.
"I know many of your companies are involved right at this time in the preparation of consignments, and/or have vessels on water. If Indonesia advises Australia of any restrictions, they are unlikely to provide much time for your companies to rearrange your affairs."
The email begins by saying ''further to the department's statement regarding the livestock mortalities on the Brahman Express", in reference to the death of numerous Australian cattle destined for Indonesia, which industry sources believe was a case of botulism.
The email reiterates that at the time of writing, Australia had not had any official response from Indonesia.