MR Bosanquet’s passionate defence of our Meat and Livestock Australia’s (MLA) performance and its flawed National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS) database has more serious holes in it than an Australian Quarantine Inspection Service import risk assessment, (The Land July 10).

Mr Bosanquet attempts to con Australian cattle producers into believing that we are the envy of the BSE-infected Canadian industry. Australia has access to Korea and Japan markets because we haven’t got BSE – not because of NLIS.

MLA and their NLIS have delivered Aussie producers historically low cattle prices and reduced export tonnages to high price markets, despite having BSE reduced competition internationally.

Mr Bosanquet quotes from a seminar at the recent Calgary Stampede, which waffled through their 10-

gallon hats that “Australia’s own powerful industry agency (MLA) rapidly filled market vacuums and worldwide the Australians are kicking our butts pretty big time”. This is rubbish. The undisputable facts are as follows.

Despite Canada’s BSE problems continuing with the recent report of their 15th case (eighth case born after implementation of their failed 1997 feed ban) Canadian producers are receiving A$2.20/kg live weight for prime slaughter steers, as are US cattlemen. Aussies are getting $1.85/kg live weight, some 20 per cent less.

I suggest Mr Bosanquet should concentrate on a few realities rather than trying to convince over taxed levy payers that the MLA is delivering value to Australian cattle producers. A good start would be comparing prices he is receiving now, to what he was receiving in the 1980s.

Lee McNicholl

DULACCA, QLD