Is the Australian live export sector competitive? Profoundly so, according to market analyst Peter Barnard, who spoke at last week’s LIVEXchange conference in Darwin. One positive indicator: Australia has been live exporting since 1829. Longevity suggests that the industry is doing something right. Another indicator: despite Australia’s high-cost environment, Australian cow-calf operations have some of the lowest costs in the world. Australian meat is given peerless access to markets around …

In Darwin last week, Peter Barnard softened up the live export industry with honeyed words about its competitiveness – but then socked home the message that its market is built on uncertain ground. “One of the things I’m worried about is the enormous hype that now exists over agriculture generally, and Australian agriculture in particular,” Dr Barnard told the LIVEXchange conference. There is a prevailing belief, the veteran meat industry …