Live Korban demand prompts volume supply of livestock air freight to Malaysia

Thousands of sheep and goats have been air freighted from Australia to Malaysia and other majority Muslim countries over the past few months in the lead up to Live Korban — the Festival of Sacrifice.

Air freight from Perth to Malaysia cranked up from March to May in the lead up to the 3-4 day event, which begins on June 29 across the world.

A total of 3799 sheep and 1480 goats for slaughter were air freighted from Perth to Malaysia between March and May, the first for the year after 1396 sheep for slaughter were sent in November 2022.

Thousands more have been exported from the eastern states to Malaysia this year.

According to Asian market analyst Dr Michael Patching on his Meat The Market Asia podcast, Live Korban commemorates the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim to offer his son Ismail on the alter as a sacrifice in obedience to the will of god, and is about giving to the community.

Dr Patching interviewed Rafee Eunos, the chief operating officer of Aaliyah in Singapore, on the podcast who is importing Australian sheep into Singapore for the festival.

Mr Eunos said during Live Korban large numbers of livestock will be slaughtered all around the world over the festival period.

“The event focuses on the act of giving, and the carcass is usually divided into thirds with it distributed between self, family, and those in need,” Mr Eunos said.

He said in Australia, the Middle East region is well known for the importance of the connection between live sheep export and the festival EID.

“In Southeast Asia the main locations of importance are in Indonesia and Malaysia where there are large majority Muslim populations,” he said.

Dr Patching said the lack of ability to control the Malaysian sheep supply chain over the last five years has resulted in a six week ban of exports of sheep to Malaysia (prior to the festival starting).

Australia Live Exporter’s Council chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said the exports from Perth and other parts of Australia were the importers “trying to get volume” of supply for the festival.

“Due to the six week ban of sheep and goats to Malaysia before Live Korban starts there probably wouldn’t be another one,” Mr Harvey-Sutton said.

“The ban is in place to allow the animals to be worked through the system.”

Nationally, live goat exports have picked up this year with 8628 head of slaughter and breeder animals being sent to Malaysia, China and Indonesia.

While it is way down on the 2018 numbers of 22,644 head, it is almost double last year’s 4,869, with seven months to go in the reporting year.

The largest shipment so far this year was 3652 head of breeder goats which left Victoria for China in May.