Western Australian-based livestock exporting and meat processing company Wellard Rural Exports recently announced a significant expansion of its trade with China following the successful delivery of a high quality breeding sheep order to the country.

Wellard already has a significant presence in China as an exporter of high-performance dairy heifers to the country from Australia and New Zealand,

It built on that trade recently with the export via airfreight of more than 1200 Dorper rams and ewes, sourced from Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, for a client in Inner Mongolia.

The company said a 100 per cent success rate was achieved on the 12 hour Singapore Airlines flight from Perth to Hohhot, Inner Mongolia (including refuelling stopover).

After a 45 day quarantine period in China the sheep are now due to move onto their new host property to form the nucleus of a breeding flock. They were quarantined in Australia for 30 days prior to departure.

Wellard General Manager Harold Sealy said the sheep were purchased by large, privately owned farming organisation which supports many of the smaller farmers in the state of Inner Mongolia.

“Wellard expects to develop this market further as there is appears to be strong demand for high quality sheep genetics from China, and Australia is perfectly placed to supply those genetics,” Mr Sealy said.

Wellard has also recently received accreditation for its WA-located abattoir, Beaufort River Meats (BRM), to export to China, and has shipped its first container of mutton to the market.

Wellard Managing Director Mauro Balzarini said the Dorper sheep exports and BRM China accreditation expanded Wellard’s supply portfolio of protein and genetics to China.

“Wellard has more than 25,000 dairy and beef breeding cattle already booked for supply to China from Australia and New Zealand before end of the year, and we are currently developing specific assets in China and in Australia with the expectation that feeder and slaughter cattle exports to China will commence in the short term,” Mr Balzarini said.

“Wellard is very well positioned to take advantage of growing demand for beef, sheepmeat, beef cattle, dairy cattle and sheep genetics in China.”

Source: Wellard Rural Exports