Albanese Government tight-lipped as Morocco looks to tap into Australian live sheep market

Morocco is seeking to tap into WA’s lucrative live sheep trade, with the drought-stricken country lifting a crippling 300 per cent tariff on live animal imports as it desperately attempts to rebuild its breeding flock. But the Australian Government is playing its cards close to its chest, with the Federal Agriculture Department refusing to respond to accusations it has ignored a direct appeal from the North African country. Countryman can reveal Moroccan officials wrote to the Albanese Government in February seeking to negotiate the necessary protocols to open up the trade. Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson — who attended Morocco’s SIAM Agricultural Exhibition in May — said livestock exporters and Federal Department of Agriculture staff had drafted a list of proposed conditions in March. However, he said the document still had not been forwarded to Moroccan authorities, as Federal Labor pushes ahead with plans to ban Australia’s $92 million live sheep trade after the next election. “Rather than being proactive and developing the relationship, I suspect that because it’s live export, they will basically stand aside and do nothing and allow this opportunity to pass us by,” Mr Wilson said. “And the opportunity here is bigger than just live sheep.” Countryman put several questions to both Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt’s office and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Only DAFF responded, issuing a brief written statement saying the Department was “aware of interest” from Morocco. “The department has received a request from Morocco to initiate negotiations for importation of livestock from Australia, including proposed conditions for trade,” a DAFF spokeswoman said. “The department has been reviewing the proposed conditions for the trade, and will continue to work with Moroccan authorities in response to its request.” ‘PLENTY OF INTEREST’ Mr Wilson — who is deputy chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture — said multiple Australian exporters had already indicated their interest in the proposal. He said Moroccan farmers, who have been in the throes of a severe drought for more than two years, were rapidly losing valuable sheep genetics through the domestic consumption of breeding stock. “It’s a population of 35 million and, like most Arab countries, they’re very reliant on goat and sheep meats,” he said. “The big concern is that they have eaten the wethers, they’ve eaten all the ram lambs, so they are now starting to chew into their breeding flock. “They’re quite desperate to take the pressure off their own sheepmeat supply chains.” Mr Wilson personally discussed the matter with Moroccan Agriculture Minister Mohammed Sadiki during his recent visit. He said Australia should, “from a humanitarian point of view”, be doing everything in its power to help, adding that further benefits could follow from improved diplomatic ties with Morocco, which sits on about two-thirds of the world’s phosphate reserves. ‘A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE’ “Morocco is, for us, a fairly distant and obscure country in North Africa, which probably normally would rate a mention. But from a strategic perspective, it is very important, agriculturally, going forward, because of that reserve,” Mr Wilson said. “We’re currently getting 80 per cent of our phosphate-based fertilisers out of China, which as we know, can turn the tap on and off as they choose. “And so to diversify the source of that phosphorus with phosphate, which is critically important for growing crops and pasture across the Australian landscape, that’s the bigger picture here. “I think it’s really important that we engage with them and we make a genuine attempt to facilitate the opening of the live sheep trade.” Morocco has waived tariffs on the importation of live animals until December 31, and is keen to import Australian sheep for both breeding and slaughter purposes. As well as allowing the national herd to rebuild, it is hoped the move will bolster food security by keeping red meat prices down. “This is an opportunity for us to sit down and talk longer term, to say ‘we can supply you with a product, but we need that tariff to go (permanently)’,” Mr Wilson said. “There are opportunities here for the Australian Government to be proactive and be engaged with the Moroccans and get some huge two way benefits.” AN ‘ABSOLUTE PRIORITY’ Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said the opportunity to open a new market “should be the absolute priority for the Australian Government”. “We have already seen Saudi Arabia wishing to reopen, and can add Morocco to the list of market opportunities opening up in spite of the Australian Government’s phase out policy,” he said. “The fact Morocco has approached Australia to meet their food security needs indicates our global reputation as a reliable trader of high-quality livestock. “ALEC has met with the Moroccan Ambassador to Australia, and she repeatedly underscored the untapped opportunity for Australian Agriculture that Morocco represents. “Once again it is a demonstration of live export opening markets for all of agriculture. “We would like to see the Australian Government working for Australian producers and exporters for a change and exploring this market opportunity as a priority.” In April, Morocco received its first shipment of 2800 live cattle from Brazil after opening that market earlier this year. A tariff-free quota of 30,000 cattle remains valid for any country with which Morocco has diplomatic ties.