Australian agriculture minister bans live exports to Indonesia for inhumane animal treatment

Australian Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig on Tuesday announced the suspension of live exports to eleven abattoirs in Indonesia, pending an investigation into their treatment of Australian cattle.

Australia's livestock industry, LiveCorp, on Friday was handed the video footage filmed by animal activists, which showed the beasts being mistreated in a number of Indonesian abattoirs.

The footage was released by ABC News on Monday night, which showed animals kicked, thrashed and beaten, their throats hacked at, eyes gouged and tails broken.

Minister Ludwig said he was shocked by the footage.

He said it was clear that livestock industry reforms to animal welfare standards had not gone far enough or been fast enough, and much more needed to be done.

The Greens and two independents threw support to the move, calling for an immediate ban on live animal exports to Indonesia.

The federal Coalition has also offered bipartisan support for a review of the live cattle export industry.

LiveCorp was handed the footage last week, and in response to the incident, it has announced a suspension of trade to three of the worst abattoirs, while sending training experts to a fourth abattoir in Indonesia.

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