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Boycott forces saleyards to drop ID fee. 05/07/2005. ABC News Online
[This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200507/s1407189.htm]
Last Update: Tuesday, July 5, 2005. 1:08pm (AEST)
Boycott forces saleyards to drop ID fee
A boycott by meat processors has forced Australia's biggest saleyards to re-think charges for implementing the national livestock identification system.
Operators of the Roma selling centre in southern Queensland announced last month that buyers of cattle would be charged for NLIS, while most other yards are charging sellers.
But Rob Loughnan, from the Roma Saleyards Board, says processors pulled out of the first NLIS sale today, forcing the board to remove the fee.
"In recent days some of the bigger players in the processing interest have had a fair bit of impact out here and we're in a situation where today we had virtually no buyers," he said.
"We had 20 buyers pull out within 24 hours which left us with agents lacking confidence that there would be any sort of competitive market there in Roma."
Teys Brothers, one of Australia's biggest processors has defended the boycott, saying saleyards are the only sector to get subsidised and should absorb the NLIS costs.
Boycott forces saleyards to drop ID fee. 05/07/2005. ABC News Online
[This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200507/s1407189.htm]
Last Update: Tuesday, July 5, 2005. 1:08pm (AEST)
Boycott forces saleyards to drop ID fee
A boycott by meat processors has forced Australia's biggest saleyards to re-think charges for implementing the national livestock identification system.
Operators of the Roma selling centre in southern Queensland announced last month that buyers of cattle would be charged for NLIS, while most other yards are charging sellers.
But Rob Loughnan, from the Roma Saleyards Board, says processors pulled out of the first NLIS sale today, forcing the board to remove the fee.
"In recent days some of the bigger players in the processing interest have had a fair bit of impact out here and we're in a situation where today we had virtually no buyers," he said.
"We had 20 buyers pull out within 24 hours which left us with agents lacking confidence that there would be any sort of competitive market there in Roma."
Teys Brothers, one of Australia's biggest processors has defended the boycott, saying saleyards are the only sector to get subsidised and should absorb the NLIS costs.
