AVA Conference Perth 2019

Our profession is based upon a desire to achieve highest animal welfare outcomes in all of our work. The AVA vision reflects this. But at what point do our efforts to uphold the highest animal welfare for production animals end? Australians expect high standards of animal welfare to be maintained throughout an animal's life, and that includes in the days and hours before slaughter. Mobile abattoirs have been operating in various overseas countries for up to fifteen years. They offer improvements in animal welfare pre-slaughter, farm profitability, traceability from farm to fork, and meat quality. I am drawn to them after 25 years in rural practice witnessing hardworking producers lose control of their quality livestock in the highly consolidated and commoditised meat processing industry. I know we can do better. Join me as we explore the concept of commercial on-farm processing, the benefits for farmers, and the benefits for livestock as they spend "one more day one the farm".