Emirates Livestock Company collaborates with Australian sheep industry in Trial Training Program

Following on from the recently signed agreement between Abu Dhabi and Dubai Municipality with Emirates Livestock and Meat Products Trading Company to protect and ensure the merciful slaughtering of livestock, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) ran the 'Train the Trainer' style workshop on behalf of industry, focused on educating people on sheep welfare and behaviour and how to apply that in practice in the Middle East region.

Dr Rebecca Doyle, Lecturer—Animal Physiology and Welfare, School of Animal and Veterinary Science at Charles Sturt University, explains:"The most significant issue for the welfare of production animals is stockperson interaction. A stockperson with a good understanding of animal welfare and behaviour can eliminate almost all possible risks to an animal's welfare. With this in mind, LiveCorp and MLA have been developing a sheep welfare training program to educate people on sheep welfare and behaviour. I was exceptionally happy with how the pilot went. Everyone's enthusiasm and engagement was invaluable, and I am confident that the final version of the training package will further improve the welfare of sheep by improving a stockperson's understanding of sheep welfare and behaviour."

Participants included veterinarians and managers from feedlots and abattoirs from UAE and gulf countries, Emirati and Australian government representatives, Australian exporters, and industry consultants from the region. All participants contributed substantially providing valuable comment and feedback on the material which will be incorporated into the final training package. Once finalised, the training package will be available to anyone that requests it - it can be delivered by Australian industry trainers, or given to organisations to deliver their own training. The goal of this is to spread the concepts and practical application of good animal welfare practice widely across the MENA region.

Dr Hany Farhat of Emirates Livestock & Meat Products Company, comments:"It was a great opportunity for us to have this workshop and training session to discuss and learn more about animal welfare, OIE guidelines and how we can better apply them here in the Middle East. At Emirates Livestock, located in Jabel Ali, Dubai, we receive thousands of Australian sheep every year. From the beginning of this year up until now we have received more than 20,000 Australian sheep—rams, wethers and lamb. This workshop covered all aspects of animal welfare and was invaluable to us to ensure we fully understand regulations and apply the rigorous standard operating procedures to exported Australian sheep. I'd like to thank Dr Rebecca Doyle, Dr David Beatty and all at MLA Middle East for this important workshop."

Dr David Beatty, Livestock Services Manager—MENA, Meat & Livestock Australia, says:"This training workshop represents the culmination of a 12 month research project which the Australian livestock export industry initiated to assist importers of Australian livestock in animal handling and welfare. By collaborating with our colleagues in the Middle East we hope to standardize the approach to animal welfare training in the region. A consistent and standardized approach will lead to improved animal welfare outcomes for all livestock and increase productivity and meat quality. The workshop participants provided valuable feedback on the training material and our next steps are to again work together with our partners in the Middle East region on delivering animal welfare training to workers in supply chains that handle Australian sheep."

All material is based on the internationally recognised OIE guidelines for animal welfare, and so can be applicable to all breeds of sheep, not just Australian animals. The program covers all aspects of the sheep supply chain including: animal handling, transportation, feedlot management, lairage and slaughter.