In the recent months enquiries on how to sell livestock have been on the rise

Aidan Soule - Friday, December 13, 2019

Most of these enquiries have come from ordinary farmers who have high quality animals, and want to sell to their colleagues across our borders, our most traded livestock are cows, sheep, goats and pigs. Livestock are exported for slaughter, breeding, milk and meat production. We never hear of a case of import for manure production or leisure perhaps because the two are livestock by-products which few people take notice of or assign them a monetary value.

When exporting livestock, there are global standards that need to be met as set out by the World Animal Health Organisation in its binding Terrestrial Animal Health Code. This code is a global reference document that should be used by veterinary authorities in each country, import/export services, scientists who study disease in populations (epidemiologists) and all those involved in international trade in animal and animal products.

The aim is to control animal diseases, diseases spread between animals and humans and to ensure food safety.

Rise in Demand

There is a massive rise in demand for animal products due to the rising costs of buying stock from the traditional sources (Europe, America, New Zealand ect.) It is estimated that the demand for livestock products in the world will more than double by 2030 due to increased human population and the increase in the size of the middle class, who have the capacity to buy livestock products mainly meat, milk and eggs. As demand rises, the land available for livestock production is decreasing due to human settlement.

What does it take to export your animals for whatever goal?

The farmer must first understand that animals for the export market require high standards of production. The animals must first and foremost be well-identified and their lives can be traced from birth to the point of export. The animals must have good records kept for their breeding, treatment, performance, vaccination to prevent diseases and how they have been managed. Animals that have been kept in stressful conditions are not acceptable for the export market.

Finally, there must be clear records certifying the animals to be free of any disease.

For the small farmer, the easiest way to export the animal is to deal with the export trader a majority who bulk before exporting as doing the process on your own is expensive.

In Conclusion:

As demand for animal and animal products rises, farmers must look beyond the border for market. 
A vet will explain all you need to know about selling your livestock abroad.
Farmers need to know that they do not have to be large-scale producers to sell animals for export.
The exporter will ensure that all the animals are individually tested by a certified laboratory and found to be free of disease

Although complex to export your livestock, the final price is far more than the lump of total expenses. 

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