Weve had the U.S. troop surge in Iraq, now we have the U.S. beef surge into South Korea.
The surge from our great trading partner has ended Australian beef producers Golden Run in the premier beef market - South
Korea.
Its just 55 days since U.S. beef had been allowed back into the S. Korea market and already they have 20% of the market.
Since the ban on U.S. beef import following the mad cow out break in 2003 Australian beef producers have enjoyed an unprecedented
golden run with over 90% market share of the South Korean beef market.
Sadly for Australian Beef producers who have enjoyed record prices for the last 5 years, that lucrative market dominance
is over, thanks to the USA.
Australias share of S.Korean imported beef has slumped to 60% and falling. That equates to 11,570 tonnes (12,753 imperial
tons) for the period since July 1st.
The US has surged to second spot with 20% 3,991 tonnes (4,400 imperial tons.)
Our friends across the ditch New Zealand are third with 17.7 percent 3,400 tonnes (3,750 imperial tons.)
While Mexico is the only other significant player with 1.1 percent 219 tonnes (241 imperial tons.)
Australian and New Zealand Beef are the cleanest beef in the world. Australia is the only country that has a compulsory
national animal identification (NLIS) program in the world. New Zealand and Mexico have no animal ID program, whilst the U.S.
has a voluntary program that has less than 30% uptake and at a standstill for enrollment.
Producers have constantly been told by Meat and Livestock Australia the number one proponent of animal ID in Australia
that our NLIS is imperative to gaining market access in the worlds premium beef markets and will make our producers world
leaders.
They (MLA) and every other proponent of Animal ID in the world (U.S.A & New Zealand) have pointed to Australias market
access in the No1 beef market in the world (S.Korea) as the reason we must have animal ID.
The surge of U.S. beef back into S.Korea makes a mockery of those claims. It proves that animal ID is not necessary for
world competition. Not even a consideration.
Free Trade will always dictate that the country that can supply the market with a certain quality of product, at the cheapest
price will not only dominate the market, but set the price for every other player in the market.
The key to real estate is location first, second and last.
The key to the global beef trade is price, first, second and last. Total animal ID is again proven to be of no value
----- zip!!
Reports are coming in that our Sister Country of Australia are having more then a bit of "Problems" with their National
Livestock Identification System, NLIS for short!
Are the powers to be this stupid that they can see that this so called Disease program is NOT WORKING Down Under?
Now it comes out that the horses will be paying for Clean up cost .
If you live and own livestock in Austraila and have feed back on this program please leave me feed back on the home page ,
on the bottom in Comments. I will be the only one to see these comments. let me know if I can post..
ABA Chairman, Brad Bellinger
said today, "Minister McGauran must urgently scrap NLIS before it breaks Australia's cattle producers."
The ABA
called on the Minister Peter McGauran, to either pay the costs of NLIS, which are out of control, or scrap the whole system.
The costs of NLIS to producers will exceed the Governments Drought relief figure and NLIS is not achieving any of
its claimed objectives.
He said, "The just announced cost of $1.80 per lot NLIS/LPA handling charge by Elders is
another nail in the NLIS coffin and of the producers who pay it. ABA wants the dishonestly introduced and hopelessly
flawed program to be abandoned."
He said, "Recommendations from COWCATCHER II exercise dwelt on the need for "commercial
drivers" to try and make the scheme work. There are only disincentives in falling prices and escalating charges that the
Minister has inflicted on cattle producers with the system and the increased MLA levy.
Mr Bellinger said "Other
than Australia, the only other inter- property trace-back schemes are in Europe and are mostly paid for by Government.
Government also subsidises these beef producers. The UK Auditor General's Report on Livestock Tracking released on 10/11/2003
showed their farmer/Govt. cost ratio estimate figures. If transferred to Australia, it would give a total cost to
Australia's beef industry of $870 million per annum. The UK's 2006 cost benefit analysis of any introduction of RFID
to their sheep system, showed that the cost would increase".
He added, "The FMD and Blue Tongue outbreaks in UK
and the Equine Influenza outbreak in Australia have illustrated that trace-back schemes like NLIS are irrelevant.
The US return to Japan and Korea with no NLIS, has shown that the claims that NLIS was needed for market access, were
lies."
Mr Bellinger explained, "Here in Australia the beef industry, like other primary production, is in big trouble
in the deepening drought. Prices are down to pre - 1990 levels but the pre - 1990 cattlemen did not have the costs
of NLIS and a $ 5 levy on every beast that they sold".
Mr Bellinger continued, "We have been told by Cattle Council,
MLA and numerous State Ministers that NLIS is essential to preserve access to our markets and to protect the Australian
consumer. This is now found to be incorrect."
"Why is the cattle producer carrying the entire cost? It is not borne
by the Feedlotters, or the Processor, or the Consumer, or the Government - just the poor drought affected producer. If
Government sees an advantage for Australia in maintaining the system, then let them fund it."
"We again call
on the Minister to either scrap NLIS, or have Government pay for it if they think it is all they claim it to be," Mr
Bellinger suggested
For more information please contact Brad Bellinger on 02 6725 4282 Mob 0428 765 421
Linda
Hewitt 07 4623 3707 Mob 041 978 9211
For more background information go to our website www.austbeef.com.au
Sally Office
Manager Australian Beef Association 7/188 Margaret Street PO Box 812 TOOWOOMBA QLD 4350
One of the big fears about NAIS is that it is a government census of ownership so that then the government will be able
to easily levy a tax on owners of livestock. Pretty soon you’ll be paying the government money for the privilege of
working hard to raise meat for your own table. This is what is happening in Australia now following the establishment of the
Australian version of NAIS, the Australian National Livestock Identification System (NLIS):
Taxing small landholders: the only way to protect livestock The Cooma Rural Lands
Protection Board is defending a decision to rate small landholders, saying it is the only way to protect livestock producers
from exotic diseases.
Rates were previously only charged for holdings of 10 hectares or more but that has now been reduced to four hectares.
Board chairman Barry Bridges is dismissing objections from some small landholders who accuse the board of a cash grab.
“They do receive benefit whether they think they do or not … they will be looked after if we get an exotic
disease outbreak,” Mr Bridges said.
“Whether they are commercial or not doesn’t make any difference … I believe anybody who owns any animal
should have to pay some sort of animal health levy to ensure the disease-free status of our country.” -ABC News
Government is growing ever larger and hungrier for more sources of taxes to feed it’s coffers.
http://www.naissucks.com/flyers/AussieNAIS.pdf in this artical it states that Chuck kiker went to the Austrialian Beef Association in Nov 2004 and learned that
cattle producers there had been told the United states has an animal identification system in place and were ahead of them
in the race to implement a nation wide program.
Then in 2005 Australia mandated a National Livestock Id System- NLIS .
Then this article came out in April 07-06 Johanns said the US livestock industry will need the tracking system to stay
competitive with other beef exporters, such as Australia and Canada. "Traceability is being used as a marketing tool by several
countries," he said. "For example, Australia is aggressively marketing animal traceability to gain a complete
advantage over us."
April 6, 2006 Aussie cattlemen dispute Johanns’ comments about ID
The Australian Beef Association (ABA) says the agency running that nation’s livestock identification program has
led USDA Secretary Mike Johanns “up the garden path” about the competitive impact of the Australian ID program.
On Monday, Johanns told ag journalists that Australia was “aggressively marketing traceability to gain an advantage.
It is critical that the U.S., like other nations, have this in their trade arsenal. Competitors are out there saying, ‘We’ve
got ID. They don’t.’”
But ABA Chairwoman Linda Hewitt was critical of Meat and Livestock Australia, the agency handling the ID program. Johanns’
comments, she said, “are tinged by the U.S. BSE outbreaks and the misguided belief, fueled by MLA, that (ID) provides
total traceability.” She said MLA had led Johanns “up the garden path” about the benefits of ID.
ABA is a long-time opponent of mandatory ID, and favors a voluntary system. Hewitt said the program provides “no
competitive advantage. It only adds extra costs to the price of beef.” Johanns, Hewitt said, “has been led by
the nose, as has every other international beef market.”
The “only beneficiaries” of the ID program, she said, are those “selling the tags and the software.”
MLA Managing Director David Palmer said the Aussie livestock industry had no influence on the American industry’s
decision-making concerning livestock ID. “In fact, the U.S. decision-making process has been going on for more than
eight years, which is longer than Australia.”
Email from Brad Bellinger of the Australian Beef Association.
Ann,where do I start.The Australian Animal ID
system is an absolute disaster you must do anything you can to stop it becoming law in your country.
We have been fighting the National Livestock Identification System or NLIS as it is known down here for three
years. We have had a fierce battle against our official farmers organisations and governments that have forced this
upon us undemocraticaly.
Any one who tells you that the Australian system is working well is lying or believing the propaganda that is being
fed to them, there are two organisations to be particularly wary of one is The Cattle Council of Australia & Meat and
Livestock Australia they are full of it.
After 18 mnths into NLIS we now have 11 million phamtom cattle on the data base out of a total herd of 27 million &
due to our lobbying our federal Agricultural Minister has initiated an audit into the NLIS data-base to find out what has
gone wrong. A growing number of producers are facing court action for none compliance & costs are spinning out of
control with equipment mulfunctions & tag losses .I could go on for hours but to save time I have sent you 2 attachments
one on NLIS costs so far & the other the most recent letter I have sent to Australias largest rural weekly. Lobby
hard and best of luck
Regards Brad Bellinger Vice Chairman Ausralian Beef Association
Drought movement no defence against NLIS prosecution Australia Wednesday,
28 February 2007 A Western Darling Downs, Qld, grazier this week was fined $1,000 after pleading guilty in the Dalby Magistrate’s
Court to a breach of state regulations that underpin the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS). The court heard that the grazier had breached the Stock Identification Regulation 2005 on October 11, 2005, by moving
80 head of cattle from his property to another property at Wandoan, without their being identified with approved NLIS devices.
The Court heard that the defendant, who was also a veterinarian, admitted to having prior knowledge about the mandatory
requirements for NLIS in Queensland. The defendant claimed that he moved the cattle as they were drought stressed and were suffering from the affects of pimelea
plant poisoning. DPI&F alleged the defendant admitted to failing to discuss the movement with a DPI&F Biosecurity Inspector or
an authorised person to determine the identification requirements that applied to the movement of the cattle before they were
moved, and did not apply for approval to move the cattle untagged because of extenuating circumstances. DPI&F general manager animal biosecurity Dr Ron Glanville said the conviction sent a strong message to livestock industries
to comply with statutory NLIS requirements or face significant fines. * More information on NLIS: www.dpi.qld.gov.au/NLIS SOURCE: Extract from report in Queensland Country Life, March 1.
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Premises Registration will be an "Official" USDA unique seven Character identifier.
In the New User Guide it states on Page 22:
The premises identification number (PIN) is assigned permanently to a geophysical location.
If an owner or entity sells his/her farm, the next operators of the premises use the original premises identification number
that had been assigned to that location. If the seller buys a new location to build a new operation that never had livestock,
he/she would register that location and obtain a new premises identification number (PIN).
Premises Identification = Encumbrance
Comments on the site are very welcomed.. If you see something that is in error, point it out, if you have a document that
needs posting, provide the information and if its state specific post the state.. This site is for all livestock owners..
