TENS of thousands more livestock are heading overseas on planes each year as small ships become harder to find.
An extra 25,000 head of sheep and goats were flown overseas last year compared with 2008.
The latest figures (below) show as many as 2000 goats a week were being transported overseas by air last year.
The number of sheep and goats exported by ship declined by 658,067 at the same time.
Chief executive of LiveCorp, Cameron Hall, said planes had become more economical for smaller loads.
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“There’s not a huge availability of small ships at the moment – it’s just not that economical to run them,” Mr Hall said.
“Those that are available are in long-term charter agreements.”
He said the average minimum-sized livestock vessel needed to be able to carry 1000 head of cattle.
At the same time markets were opening in areas difficult for ships to reach, such as parts of Russia and China.
A Queensland-based livestock exporter, David Gardiner, owner and managing director of Austock Rural, sends 2000 dairy animals a year overseas in 747-400 series cargo aircraft.
Mr Gardiner said 106 tonnes of cattle flew “first class”, standing on special absorbent mats – Skymats – that deodorised the plane and cancelled out ammonia from the urine build-up.
The mats cost about $200 and are discarded at the destination, while the cattle are kept in fibreglass and aluminium pens when on board.
“I think live exports on planes will increase more,” said Mr Gardiner, adding he had “never lost an animal” in 32 years of livestock export.
“Buyers want as many animals to arrive as quickly as possible in the best possible condition.”
This was especially the case for breeding animals, which were ordered in smaller batches from nations such as Korea, China and the Philippines.
“What we’ve been concentrating on in the past 10 years is exporting high-quality animals to niche markets,” he said.
Mr Gardiner said the dairy cattle he sent to Asia, including Japan, had “superior genetics” and produced 7000 litres or more of milk a year.
He said it took three months of planning to send one planeload of beasts overseas, which could involve as many as 350 head of cattle on a 747 aircraft.
Shipping companies also must outlay more money to transport cattle from December, 2011.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority will require companies to spend millions of dollars on back-up energy systems so air conditioners do not stop because of power outages.
Managing director of cattle transporter, Dens Ocean, Henrik Nissen, Sydney, said his shipping business was more secure now as other operators transport less stock.
“We used to have one or two shipments confirmed but we’re booked in six to 12 months ahead now,” said Mr Nissen, who moves 350,000 live cattle to Indonesian feedlots annually.
The shipping sector has consolidated into just a handful of companies the past five years with the industry becoming more “corporate” and concentrating on big loads.
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