Words of wisdom regarding live exports

THANKyou Professor Bagaric and Keith Akers for the excellent article on live animal export ( GA, 9/10). Clearly this trade is totally unnecessary and only results in the barbaric treatment of Australian animals.

Can someone please explain why live animal export started? Why meat-processing plants all over Australia were closed down, and thousands of Australians lost their jobs?

And can anyone explain the economics behind this trade, because there is no logic I can see.

Surely it makes far more economic sense (and is far more humane) to process the meat in Australia and ship it overseas frozen.

In fact, reports indicate that a sheep processed in Australia is worth 20 per cent more to the Australian economy than one processed overseas. And Australians are employed.

Sandra Trebath, Torquay