Farms: Live export - Australian dairy cattle exported to Saudi Arabia

In 2009, 1800 Australian dairy cattle were exported to one of the biggest dairies in the Middle East at Haradh, Saudi Arabia. The dairy cattle left on a livestock vessel from Portland Victoria and arrived in late February 2009. The trip took two weeks, and the heifers settled into their new home with the help of an Australian veterinarian. The National Agricultural Development Company's (NADEC) dairy in Haradh, Saudi Arabia is one of the largest dairies in the Middle East region and has imported almost 4,800 Australian dairy cattle over the past three years. NADEC produces almost 1 million litres of milk per day from a herd of almost 42,000 holsteins. The milk is processed on site, producing milk, cheese and other dairy products that are delivered to retail outlets across the region. Australian dairy cattle are highly regarded by NADEC for their quality, their disease-free status and the volume of milk they produce, making them in high demand in the Australian live export industry. In Australia, the cattle were prepared by the Elders live export team for months in advance of shipment, with bloodlines and production critical to selection.