Malaysia has lifted its temporary suspension of live cattle and buffalo exports from Australia.

Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) said in a statement it had been formally advised that Malaysian authorities would begin granting import permits to industry immediately.

ABC Rural understands a shipment of cattle and buffalo is due to leave Darwin Port bound for Malaysia in the next 48 hours.

The trade suspension started last month when Malaysia flagged concerns about lumpy skin disease (LSD) after Indonesia suspended cattle imports from four export facilities in northern Australia.

Australia has always maintained it is free of LSD and has tested more than 1,000 animals to assure Indonesia and Malaysia.

“Our testing did not detect LSD in Australia and our disease status has not changed,” DAFF said.

“Malaysia’s decision to lift the suspension is welcomed by the Australian government and industry.

“It’s a result of a well-coordinated whole-of-government effort, led by the department’s technical and trade officials who helped gather the extensive evidence base that led to this determination.”

Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the announcement by Malaysia was an “important first step in the full restoration of this trade”.

“We have always maintained that Australia is free of lumpy skin disease, demonstrated by the results of extensive testing undertaken across northern Australia,” he said.

“Australia also welcomes ongoing technical discussions with Indonesia.”

Indonesian negotiations continue

All eyes are now on Indonesia, Australia’s largest customer for live cattle.

In July, Indonesia suspended cattle imports from four export facilities in northern Australia, citing concerns about LSD.

That suspension remains in place and on the weekend Indonesian authorities advised the Australian government that more cattle had tested positive to LSD and were linked to another three export facilities in the north — two in Western Australia’s Kimberley region and one in the Northern Territory.

ABC Rural understands the three new facilities are not officially suspended from trading, but are required to test all cattle before export to Indonesia, which is not viable and has been deemed “an unworkable situation”. 

Australian Livestock Exporters Council chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said meetings in Jakarta this week involving Australia’s chief vet would hopefully resolve the situation.

“We really need to have this technical discussion with Indonesia,” he said.

“We know we don’t have lumpy skin [disease] in Australia … but we need to get a full understanding of how they’re doing their testing [and] how those positive results are occurring.”

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