Indonesia has recently halted the import of live cattle from a specific Australian property in response to the deaths of more than 100 cattle on the Brahman Express as it journeyed from Darwin. The shock of this incident has rattled the industry, as Indonesia plays a significant role in purchasing live cattle worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually from Australia. While the exact number of cattle that perished on the voyage has not been disclosed, the exporter reported a high mortality rate.
Nuryani Zainuddin, Indonesia's Director of Animal Husbandry, divulged that the Indonesian government is working in conjunction with their Australian counterparts to conduct a thorough investigation into the situation. With the ongoing probe, Indonesia has decided to temporarily suspend one registered premises from supplying cattle. The vessel in question, the Brahman Express, has a capacity of over 4,000 cattle, though it remains unclear how many were onboard during its departure from the Northern Territory.
Australia's chief vet, Beth Cookson, mentioned that the cattle that died onboard the ship did not exhibit signs of diseases like foot and mouth or lumpy skin disease. The Department of Agriculture in Australia is closely collaborating with the exporter and the Northern Territory government to ascertain the cause of the mortality event. The culprit behind the deaths is suspected to be botulism, a bacterium that can be fatal and is not contagious, and it is believed that the exposure occurred before the cattle were exported.