Maintaining Livestock Welfare – Is Your Livestock Fit For The Journey?

The trade of transporting and exporting livestock comes with numerous regulations and requirements which legally must be followed or else breaches could result in drastic consequences. 

If you load livestock that isn’t fit for the trip, you may be subject to severe fines or convictions. Those in the industry of trading livestock, such as contractors, transport operators or receivers, who are in charge of maintaining welfare before, during and after transport, must follow set guidelines to ensure all livestock are being handled correctly and humanely. 

This guide has been developed to help you decide if an animal is fit to be loaded for transport to any destination within Australia. 

An animal is not fit for the journey if it is: 

  • Not strong enough to undertake the journey 
  • Unable to walk normally or bear its weight on all legs 
  • Severely emaciated or dehydrated
  • Suffering from severe visible injury/distress
  • In a condition that could cause increased pain or distress during transport 
  • Blind in both eyes 
  • In late pregnancy or gave birth within the last 72 hours 
  • Showing ingrown horns or significant injuries

Regulations are in place to protect Australian livestock during transport. It is an offence to transport an animal in a manner that may cause it physical or intense psychological harm. 

If you’re unsure if an animal meets the requirements, it’s safe practice to exclude it from travel. 

Failure To Define Unfit Livestock Consequences 

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) created a free pictorial guide available to help assess if livestock is fit for its intended journey. This resource dives into the ethics and best practice of animal welfare when preparing, loading and delivering Australia’s main livestock products like cattle, sheep and goats. 

In this source, MLA General Manager, Michael Crowley, stated that if the person in charge of the animal’s wellbeing, at any point of transport, causes it harm or forces it into a harmful situation, they commit an act of cruelty and are liable to prosecution “under state or territory legislation”. 

“As such, it is also unacceptable for any party to coerce or intimidate the ‘person in charge’ into loading an animal that is not fit for the journey,” he said. 

“Knowing who the ‘person in charge’ of animals is at different stages of the journey and the scope of those responsibilities is important for many reasons.” 

The maximum penalty for an individual convicted of animal cruelty is $266,900 or 3 years imprisonment under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001. 

Why Is Animal Welfare Important? 

Animal welfare refers to the quality of life experienced by an animal. It also encompasses how the animal copes with its situations and surroundings. Unnecessary cruelty and unfair treatment of animals have co-existed with the livestock industry for generations. But, current laws aim to improve the overall quality of life for domestic animals and livestock. 

The Australian Government holds all citizens responsible for the well being and protection of any animals in their care; this includes those who work in industries with regular animal interaction. 

Australians have an enduring obligation to seek expert assistance where necessary to ensure the welfare of animals. 

Good Transport Preparation Habits

Meat & Livestock Australia, as well as Australian Pork, have established correct transportation habits which minimise stress before, during and after transit: 

  • Competently select livestock before loading 
  • Implement correct animal handling practices 
  • Implement protection from injury and disease 
  • Plan the most appropriate route with adequate rest and inspection times
  • Avoid severe weather systems which could affect the livestock and aim to transport in the earlier or later stages of the day to avoid transit in the hottest part of the day
  • Ensure all loading/unloading areas and vehicles are “fit for the purpose” and pose no risk of injuring animals or malfunctioning

Under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001, livestock animals are entitled to get access to drinkable water within a set amount of hours depending on their species. Failure to comply with the above processes could prevent an animal from being fit for the next stages of transport. 

Our team at Global Tanks, want to help improve the well-being of Australian livestock. We create a range of agricultural products that benefit all kinds of livestock. Whether it’s a Molasses Lick, feeder or a trough, get in contact today to find the perfect solution for your animals.

Advertising For Agricultural Seasonal Workers? Here Are Some Tips!

Thousands of Australian agri-business or farms rely on seasonal workers to handle the surge of labour needed each harvest. Previously, a large portion of this workforce was sourced from the international tourism industry. However, with global travel still restricted,  the farming industry is limited to the local national work pool.  

With this shortage of international operatives, it’s more important than ever to be proactive when hiring for the seasonal work spike. If you plan on advertising for seasonal workers, follow these tips to improve your chances of attracting the best options available.

Start Early 

Don’t wait until the busy season is just around the corner before you start putting feelers out. People will be looking for their next seasonal work stint months in advance, so make sure your farm’s name is on that list early on. Reach out to job seeker websites that your target audience may be using to find seasonal job leads. 

You’ll need time to find, screen and train these workers, so the sooner they can arrive at your farm, the sooner you can make them productive workers. 

Create A Social Media Page

You can’t go past free advertising, and that’s exactly what social media is. We recommend you make a page or an event for your farm to bring your seasonal worker search to the public’s attention. 

Don’t expect hundreds of requests to come your way as soon as you build your page. You will need to share it with your friends and local community groups to get the word out. The more work you put into fleshing out your account, the more likely it is to convert viewers into prospects. Make regular posts about your farm, showcasing the scenery, the lifestyle, the living conditions, etc., so people get a good idea of where they’ll be staying before they sign up. 

When done correctly and continuously, a social media page could bring attention to your farm all year round and help promote other business ventures (such as farm stays, farm attractions, tourism, etc).

Appeal To Aussies (or even Kiwis)! 

Aussies and Kiwis always have each other’s backs in dire times! 

In the past, seasonal workers have primarily been sourced from the tourism industry, with many people travelling internationally to experience the Australian way of life while still having an income. With international travel heavily restricted, farmers across the country were left scratching their heads as to where to find new seasonal workers. Luckily, the NZ travel bubble has opened in time for some of the winter harvest dates.

When you word your ads, keep in mind that this year’s audience will likely want different things than the regular international workers. You may usually say something like ‘Visit Australia And Get The Farm Experience’, well that won’t work, because most of your workers this year probably live here already, or have been here for some time. Play to their sense of adventure and make your farm seem like a trip of a lifetime. For example, ‘Explore Your State Like Never Before,’ or ‘Be Part Of The Process That Feeds Millions Of Aussies’. 

Get The Kids & Retirees Involved 

Two age groups with the most time on their hands are retirees or freshly graduated teenagers. Advertise your seasonal work position as a great way to contribute to the national economy while earning some extra money, with no lock-in commitments. 

Retirees make great seasonal workers as many enjoy the chance to make some money without a full-time work commitment. Plus, this group is often knowledgeable about work requirements and will better understand your expectations. On the opposite end of the stick, recent school graduates on a gap year may be looking to build up some work experience or make some cash while they travel the country. 

Check The Trends 

See what the industry and your competition are capitalizing on. You don’t need to be a marketing whizz; someone else can do that. All you need to do is see what’s working and implement that yourself. 

Google Trends is a great tool to help you understand what Australians are searching for right now. Using this, you can make educated decisions on ways your business can answer some highly sought-after questions. 

Include Your Work Incentives 

If you’re advertising for seasonal workers, don’t forget to include details of the incentives that are now available. You’ll want to make sure your prospective workers have all the latest information, particularly if they’re new to the agricultural industry and keen to give it a go.

Show You Have COVID-19 Prevention Measures 

New government requirements state that you must have plans in place to manage and prevent the transmission of COVID-19 at your worksite and in the community. Your seasonal workers will feel much safer if you make it clear that safety measures are in place at your farm. 

Get Involved With The Australian Government’s Seasonal Worker Programme

If you plan to hire several seasonal workers, you’ve likely already completed this step. Seasonal workers will be in short supply this year, with dwindling tourism numbers still affecting the country. This program sets out to assist employers in agriculture and accommodation industries to fill employment gaps that the Australian workforce cannot meet.

At Global Rotomoulding we are dedicated to helping Australian farmers and rural workers. We value education and strive to give farmers the best information available. Our tanks, products and custom rotomoulding services can help boost your agricultural business. Find out how by browsing our website, or by contacting us!