Agriculture Minister Murray Watt urged to get on a plane to resolve lumpy skin disease issue in Indonesia

Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt has been urged to get on a plane to resolve the latest Indonesian issue with cattle exports, amid concerns he has not done enough to challenge his counterpart over the new hurdles to industry. The West Australian understands about 130 industry figures tuned into a digital hook-up on Sunday and were told Senator Watt had only contacted Indonesian Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo over WhatsApp to try and resolve the impasse. When asked if he had contacted Mr Limpo by WhatsApp, Senator Watt responded: “I sent him a WhatsApp message as I have done on previous occasions — we have a relationship which allows us to do that”. “I received a positive response from the Indonesian Agriculture Minister and I’m confident that we can resolve this through goodwill on both sides,” he said. “I haven’t got any plans personally at this stage to (travel to Indonesia). The consistent advice to me, including from our ambassador in Indonesia, has been that this issue will be best resolved at a technical level between biosecurity officials. “But I did feel that with this latest development over the weekend, it was appropriate for me to make direct contact with the Minister.” A meeting will be held between Australian and Indonesian officials on Thursday. Some agricultural industry figures have raised concerns Senator Watt needed to do more, with WA Opposition Leader Shane Love calling on the Minister to travel to Indonesia. “Murray Watt should be jumping on a plane — getting over there and sorting this out,” Mr Love said. “The State Government absolutely should be stepping in to pay for all the testing that’s required to keep this trade open — that should not be a burden posed on the producers or the exporters.” Premier Roger Cook said the effective live export ban needed to be reversed as a “matter of urgency” because it threatened to tarnish Australia’s reputation on the global market. He said he remained convinced that no lumpy skin disease existed in Australian cattle and that a “technical issue” lay at the heart of the impasse. “We are confident that these matters will be resolved,” he said. “My biggest concern is more around reputational damage as a result of the conversations that happen from this. “Plus we want to support our primary industry players in WA. “They have got cattle that are ready to come to Indonesia so we need to resolve these issues as a matter of urgency.” Mr Cook said he had raised the export ban with Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia who had assured him she and her team were “working hard” on a solution. “(WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis) has been discussing these issues with (Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt) and he and his team are well and truly focused on resolving these issues,” the Premier said. About 130 industry figures tuned in to a hook-up with Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt on Sunday – including Australian Live Exporters’ Council chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton. While The West understands the meeting was considered by some attendees to not have adequately addressed the matter, Mr Harvey-Sutton said he was pleased with Senator Watt’s response. “We were very happy that the Minister had reached out to his (Indonesian) counterpart to highlight the importance of this issue to Australia, and he emphasised the need for this to have a resolution at that official level, on a technical basis,” Mr Harvey-Sutton said. “We’re working very closely with the Federal Government on their approach, which we support.” Mr Harvey-Sutton described the unfolding situation as “very sensitive”, saying it was important not to politicise the issue. “These concerns are technical in nature… so I think the Minister has been very respectful of the true nature of this issue and has played his role as appropriate,” he said. Indonesia effectively banned live cattle exports from Broome and Darwin after eight animals were found to be carrying the disease. It comes after Wyndham was one of four Australian export yards suspended from sending livestock to Indonesia and Malaysia in July and last month when a small number of animals were found to have the disease. The three export facilities targeted this time have not been banned from sending live cattle to Indonesia but are required to undertake a nose and mouth swab as well as a blood test on every animal to be sent to the country. It’s understood this will cost Australia millions of dollars and means exports are not feasible. WA Liberal MP Rick Wilson is calling on the Federal and State governments to prioritise the issue, saying cattle is now backed up in the supply chain. He urged the Premier — who is currently on a trade and investment mission in Indonesia — to put WA farmers first. “This issue, I would think, would be of the most pressing importance to Western Australia to make diplomatic representations at the highest levels to get this trade moving again,” Mr Wilson said. “I think it’s getting really serious and we’re running out of runway. Live exporters are telling me they are sensing this is more than just the technical issues. They are now starting to feel it’s becoming a diplomatic issue. Nationals leader David Littleproud said he had spoken to Senator Watt and was assured there was “a process” in place. Indonesia is the biggest market for live Australian cattle, importing about 337,000 animals last year, which is worth $600 million. Malaysia is much smaller by comparison, importing about 5000 cattle a year — the bulk of which are sent by air.