Egypt and Australia's New Deal

Good news for meat lovers in Egypt. Australia has announced that they will recommence exporting sheep to Egypt, after a deal was struck with Egyptian importers concerning animal welfare standards. It is for this reason that sheep haven't been exported to Egypt since 2006. The last time Australia exported cattle to Egypt was two years ago, and halted suddenly after a shocking footage was leaked of two Egyptian abattoirs being cruelly treated. This video led to an industry-wide live trade suspension.

According to Australian Agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, both governments have come to an agreement on “all matters” to restart livestock exports, including an agreement on the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System. ESCAS essentially requires Australian exporters to establish a supply chain that meets global animal health standards.

Meeting global animal health standards is a step in the right direction, and hopefully will be properly enforced. It is still unclear what is stopping Egypt from producing their own meat. Maybe Egypt finds itself short of matching demand, because their livestock don't enjoy or thrive on a strictly garbage diet. At the end of the day this is positive news, because animal cruelty is a very prevalent and a troubling issue in Egypt, that is often put on the back burner for a host of other problems Egypt is still trying to sort out. Maybe Egypt's moving in a right direction, even if it at a stoned snail's pace.