General News
6 May, 2025
Export win for Stawell abattoir
Thomas Foods is celebrating a major win after gaining approval to send sheep meat from its Stawell abattoir to the Chinese market.
Thomas Foods is celebrating a major win after gaining approval to send sheep meat from its Stawell abattoir to the Chinese market.
Ten Australian sheep and goat abattoirs including Thomas Foods Stawell and Ararat Meat Exports were granted access to the lucrative market for the first time over the weekend.
Abattoirs need to be individually approved by the Chinese government and the agreement process is prolonged and difficult.
The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) said it was the biggest expansion in Australian sheep meat access to China in many years.
AMIC general manager of trade Sam Munsie said the decision had been a long time coming.
"It's a huge market. It can be quite valuable and lucrative, and it also provides a good counterpoint and balance for where we're sending our meat around the world," he told the ABC.
Meat industry analyst Simon Quilty told the ABC the new deals are the result of the tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump.
"Without a doubt, tariffs have created a degree of uncertainty and we've also got China wanting to spread its risk and these new licences that have just been issued are part of that," Mr Quilty said.
He said the new deals also gave Australian farmers some relief from the 10 per cent tariffs imposed on their exports to the US.
"This adds really important competition to the marketplace to allow lamb to progress and those tariffs, I believe, to have minimal impact," he said.
China is already the largest buyer of Australian mutton, taking 37 per cent of our exports and it's Australia's second largest buyer of lamb.
"In lamb in particular, it takes all cuts and it takes all weight ranges so it's kind of like the go-to in the marketplace when looking to move carcasses of all different sizes," Mr Quilty said.
In a statement, Federal Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins has welcomed the news.
"It represents another win for our red meat industry and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry officials, who have worked tirelessly for this outcome," she said.
"This is a win for Australian farmers and processors and comes on the back of multiple successes delivered by the Albanese Labor Government over the past 12 months,” Minister Collins said.
Thomas Foods was contacted by the Stawell Times-News for comment on the Chinese Government’s decision but declined to comment.