受强劲需求、更紧密的行业合作以及持续投资的推动，澳大利亚活牛出口行业重拾信心。
澳大利亚肉类及畜牧业协会（MLA）的On the Ground播客中，澳大利亚活畜出口商委员会（ALEC）首席执行官马克·哈维-萨顿概述了该行业的积极前景，强调了其经济贡献、动物福利表现以及对国际市场的重要性。
对澳大利亚北部的经济和战略意义
活畜出口行业每年为澳大利亚经济贡献约10亿澳元，并且仍是澳大利亚北部牛业的关键组成部分。
“这极其重要。整个澳大利亚北部和牛业的基础设施及投资都是为了支撑活畜出口而设计的，”马克表示。
印度尼西亚仍然是主导市场，需求由人口增长和对高品质蛋白日益增长的需求驱动。马克将这种关系描述为“共生关系”：澳大利亚提供活畜供应，而印度尼西亚则在可耕地有限的情况下努力满足日益增长的需求。
除了经济层面，活畜出口在澳大利亚与印尼的更广泛关系中也扮演着关键角色。
据马克称，活牛供应是印尼与澳大利亚关系的基石，强化了双边贸易联系和粮食安全成果。
世界领先的动物福利标准支撑强劲需求
2025年末需求依然强劲，2026年初出口量略有回落，但全行业的总体信心保持积极。
该行业持续在高度规范的框架下运营，动物福利是其运营的核心。近期数据显示，99.9%的出口牛只抵达目的地，马克称这反映了在科学、研究和持续改进支持下所做出的“非凡努力”。
船上设有经认证的牲畜管理员、长途运输配备兽医以及先进的船上监控系统等措施，都有助于维持高福利标准。
“我们毫不讳言地拥有世界上最高的牲畜运输标准，”他说。
所有船只都必须通过澳大利亚海事安全局的严格认证要求，以确保持续合规。
行业协作与长期市场增长
通过成立印尼活牛行业工作组，对印尼市场的重新关注得到了加强。该工作组汇集了多个行业机构，包括澳大利亚牛业协会、北领地牧民协会、ALEC、LiveCorp和MLA。
该倡议旨在更好地将活畜出口与更广泛的红肉营销战略相结合，并寻找增长需求的机会。
“我们出口的是红肉产品——它可能不是装在盒子里运输，但质量、生物安全性和可追溯性同样重要，”马克说。
该行业还在推进一项长期增长战略，重点包括扩大和加强关键市场、加强与政府的接触、保持动物福利的持续改进、确保法规支持贸易以及增进社区对该行业的了解。
澳大利亚近期对航运能力的投资进一步提振了行业信心。适合活畜运输的船只数量有限，而符合澳大利亚认证标准的船只更是少之又少，这使得国内投资尤为重要。
“这是一个强烈的信号，表明我们的行业值得投资，”马克说。
消息来源：MLA
Live export of Australian cattle gains momentum
There’s renewed confidence in Australia’s cattle live export industry, driven by strong demand, closer industry cooperation and continued investment.
Speaking on MLA’s On the Ground podcast, Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) CEO, Mark Harvey-Sutton, outlined a positive outlook for the sector, highlighting its economic contribution, animal welfare performance and importance to international markets.
Economic and strategic importance to northern Australia
The live export industry contributes approximately $1 billion annually to the Australian economy and remains a critical component of northern Australia’s cattle sector.
“It’s incredibly important. The whole infrastructure and investment across northern Australia and the cattle industry is geared towards live export,” Mark said.
Indonesia continues to be the dominant market, with demand driven by population growth and increasing requirements for high-quality protein. Mark described this relationship as “symbiotic,” with Australia providing livestock supply while Indonesia works to meet growing demand despite limited productive land.
Beyond economics, live export plays a key role in Australia’s broader relationship with Indonesia.
According to Mark, cattle supply is a linchpin of the Indonesian-Australian relationship, reinforcing both trade ties and food security outcomes.
Strong demand supported by world-leading animal welfare standard
Demand remained strong through late 2025, with volumes easing slightly in early 2026, but overall sentiment across the sector remains positive.
The industry continues to operate under a highly regulated framework, with animal welfare central to its operations. Recent data shows 99.9% of exported cattle reaching their destination, reflecting what Mark describes as “an extraordinary effort” supported by science, research and continuous improvement.
Measures such as accredited stock handlers on voyages, veterinarians on long-haul shipments and advanced onboard monitoring systems all contribute to maintaining high welfare standards.
“We unapologetically have the highest standards of shipping livestock in the world,” he said.
All vessels must meet strict accreditation requirements through the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, ensuring consistent compliance.
Industry collaboration and long-term market growth
A renewed focus on Indonesia has been strengthened through the establishment of the Indonesia Live Cattle Industry Task Force, bringing together industry bodies including, Cattle Australia, the Northern Territory Cattleman’s association ALEC, LiveCorp and MLA.
The initiative is designed to better align live export with broader red meat marketing strategies and identify opportunities to grow demand.
“We are a red meat product that gets exported – it might not go in a box, but quality, biosecurity and traceability are just as important,” Mark said.
The industry is also progressing a long-term growth strategy focused on expanding and strengthening key markets, enhancing engagement with governments, maintaining continuous improvement in animal welfare, ensuring regulation supports trade and improving community understanding of the sector.
Recent Australian investment in shipping capacity is providing a further boost to confidence. There are limited vessels designed for livestock transport, and fewer still that meet Australia’s accreditation standards, making domestic investment particularly important.
“This is a strong signal that our industry is worth investing in,” Mark said.
Source：MLA
