Damien O'Connor defends Government's livestock export by sea ban

Minister for Agriculture and Trade, Damien O'Connor. Photo / Andrew Warner

Minister of Agriculture and Trade Damien O'Connor has defended the Government's decision to ban livestock exports by sea from April next year.

"That's the call that we made and I think it's the right call – I know it's the right call," he told The Country's Jamie Mackay.

While O'Connor recognised the decision would result in a "lost opportunity" for the primary sector, he said it wasn't worth the damage to New Zealand's reputation.

"There's a huge risk to us as people who are trying to sell… the most ethical, high-quality, best animal protein in the world."

It was important that New Zealand listened to and kept up with global consumer trends, O'Connor said.

"We see from around the world – whether they're right or wrong – people…rallying against animal protein and going plant-based.

"I don't agree with them at all but we've just got to make sure that every part of our production system…is the best in the world."

In a statement yesterday O'Connor said livestock exports by sea represented approximately 0.6 per cent of primary sector exports last year.

Therefore, the effect on export flow would be minimal in the context of total primary sector exports, he said.

"In the end, should we put our wider industry at risk, our wider reputation at risk, for one small part of it?"

While Australia, South Africa and Chile continued with livestock exports, O'Connor said those countries were considering restrictions as the practice was increasingly "under the spotlight".

Cattle from New Zealand also had to travel further, he said.

"Australia does short travel into Indonesia …the issue for us is that we're a long way from many of the markets in the northern hemisphere."

Upgrading the boats to better accommodate cattle was also not an option, although it had been considered, O'Connor said.

"Many of these boats are still refurbished old freighters – not fit for purpose and there's a huge variation in the one issue of ventilation that can't be dictated to by us.

"In the end, it's what boat turns up – you can't say sorry we're not going to accept that."

So far, farmer feedback on social media has been mixed, with many suggesting the Government is virtue signalling without thinking the decision through.

Listen below:

One comment on The Country's Twitter page challenged the idea that farmers were sending their top stock by sea and expressed concern for fate of the cows that would now not be exported.

They wrote:

"So, instead of these breeding females creating incomes/jobs for the NZ agricultural sector (as well as living long and comfortable lives), they'll now become bobby calves at four days old?!?! These are not our best genetics being sold overseas either, these are most farmers' bottom 10 per cent."

Mackay said that if he was a heifer, he'd rather take his chances on a boat to China than end up as a bobby calf.

"Well you can hop on one of the boats and go over with them if you want - you've got until April next year – and see what it's like," O'Connor replied.

O'Connor said he'd spoken to people on the boats and they'd reported the conditions were "not that great".

He also said that he'd spoken to "many farmers" who didn't want the animals they'd raised to be sent on the boats either.

"You may say they live comfortable lives – they may or may not – and from what we saw from Sri Lanka – was that they certainly were not."

Also in today's interview: Mackay asked O'Connor if 3000 additional RSE workers were enough and whether they would be treated fairly and housed correctly when they arrived.