Australia to permanently ban livestock supply to Vietnam's "cruel" slaughterhouses

By Pham Van June 21, 2016 | 05:17 pm PT

Any approved slaugherhouses found to commit animal cruelty will be prone to a permanent ban from Australia, said Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) in its media release dated June 17.

Australia blocks Vietnam slaughterhouses for animal cruelty

Australian livestock exporters agreed to stop supplying livestock to approved slaughterhouses found to commit animal cruelty in Vietnam and to launch a three-month independent inquiry into the traceability and livestock control system following consideration by its Department of Agriculture & Water Resources.

Last week, a feedlot and several slaughterhouses in Vietnam have been suspended from receiving livestock from Australian exporters due to alleged animal cruelty after footage showing a Vietnamese abattoir slaughtering cows with a sledgehammer was aired in a documentary on Australia-based ABC News last Thursday.

According to the Meat & Livestock Australia Limited, Viet Nam was the second largest live cattle importer of Australia in the fiscal year 2014-2015 with 309,505 heads, valued at AUD328 million.