Australia eyes India for sheep trade ahead of export ban

ABC NEWS (Australia)

With live sheep exports to be phased out sheep meat producers will be looking for other markets. A new trade agreement with India along with its huge population has made exporting there an attractive option.

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00:00Agriculture is the lifeblood of millions in India.

00:06From the brightly clad women tending the fields or a lone shepherd leading his flock, the

00:12land has sustained their families for generations.

00:17India isn't short on volume when it comes to livestock, which the national census puts

00:22at around 74 million animals.

00:25With high rates of vegetarianism, not all are destined for the table, but that's changing.

00:32Look at that, that's perfectly cooked.

00:34It's so nicely cooked, it's so tender.

00:37And the spice is complementing the lamb.

00:39As general wealth is increased, so too has the appetite for meat.

00:45Restaurateurs have noticed falling vegetarianism, with younger people less wedded to traditional

00:51food, and increasingly influenced by movies and social media in their eating aspirations.

00:59And there's just so much more exposure, whether it's through personal travel, whether it's

01:03through TV, the number of cooking shows out there.

01:06So there's just so much exposure to food from all over the country, all over the world,

01:12and there's this curiosity to try it.

01:19Phil Agajanan is working the kitchen at The Table, in Mumbai, deemed one of the top restaurants

01:25globally.

01:27This is a lamb shank, just braised, pretty simply, with red wine, vegetables, tomatoes,

01:32risotto milanese, which has kashmiri saffron, so saffron from India, but done that way.

01:38The owners have been pioneers in fine dining.

01:41Returning to India in 2007, after years working abroad, they saw a glaring gap in the market.

01:49Fifteen years ago, there were very few stand-alone restaurants, most of the good food was relegated

01:56to the five-star hotels.

01:59Along with refined taste, their clientele are discerning not just about the quality

02:04of their food, but the origin as well.

02:07And in good news for sheep producers, the appetite for Australian lamb is growing.

02:13Lamb's definitely like the big meat seller here, and I think they definitely consider

02:18Australian lamb like a higher class lamb, maybe because it's imported, but also because

02:23they know the quality is consistent in heaven.

02:27While there is a shift towards eating local foods for sustainability purposes, if the

02:32quality is missing, imported options will always be the first choice.

02:36You can't sort of pull the wool over their eyes.

02:39Quality is in the choices, they're looking for the choices, they're looking for the quality.

02:42And they're willing to pay, I think, a premium if they get value.

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