KEY POINTS:
The exporting of live animals for slaughter is back on the agenda, with interest from a company to ship 60,000 sheep to Saudi Arabia.
The declared value of livestock exports last year was $49 million, although almost all was for breeding purposes, statistics show.
Live animal exports for slaughter were almost non-existent last year. Sheep had not been exported to Saudi Arabia for slaughter since 2003 - the year more than 50,000 Australian sheep were left adrift at sea for almost three months after being denied permission to unload because of alleged disease.
After a policy review the Government decided it needed more control of the livestock for slaughter export trade.
Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said the review had addressed the treatment of livestock and the slaughter practices in importing countries.
Consultation would be undertaken proposing a Customs Export Prohibition Order, to allow the MAF to consider how animals are treated in the importing country.
