Ocean Drover Voyage to Gulf of Aqaba

Wellard has taken the decision to load additional livestock feed on the MV Ocean Drover as the vessel continues its voyage to Gulf of the Aqaba.

Loading of additional livestock feed safeguarded the continued provision of energy and protein to the livestock on board at levels in excess of their daily requirements.

Since encountering mechanical issues the MV Ocean Drover has been operating at speeds below its normal high cruising speed which has extended the voyage duration and prompted Wellard to take the decision to load additional fodder. That reduced cruising speed is similar to the normal cruising speeds of many livestock, and other, vessels.

All animal services (feed, water and ventilation) on the board MV Ocean Drover have remained fully functional throughout the voyage and the livestock remain in good condition.

Wellard is continuing to provide daily updates to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and is committed to keeping animal welfare at the forefront of the company’s operations.

The vessel continues to experience calm seas, low humidity and daytime temperatures of 27-28C, well below the 35-40C the livestock experienced in their paddocks before being transferred to the vessel.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Cameron Morse

Phone: + 61 8 9485 8888

Mobile: +61 433 886 871

Website: www.wellard.com.au

Background – Wellard Rural and Trading

Wellard is a world leader in the production and distribution of livestock and grain.

Its two largest subsidiaries are Wellard Rural Exports, Australia’s largest livestock exporter and ship owner, and Wellard Agri, a large mixed farming land owner and operator specialising in the production of grains, legumes and livestock.

Wellard Rural Exports has supplied quality dairy and beef cattle and sheep and goats to the world for more than 30 years, its investment in the live export industry is without peer. Based in Fremantle, Western Australia, the company’s operations cover every aspect of the export chain, including feed milling, livestock aggregation, road transport, feedlot facilities throughout Australia and modern shipping.

The company’s flagship carrier, the MV Ocean Drover (formerly the MV Becrux), is a purpose-built livestock carrier capable of carrying 75,000 sheep or 18,000 cattle to major markets around the globe. She was commissioned in 2002.

Two new, technologically advanced, purpose-built vessels, the MV Ocean Swagman and the MV Ocean Outback, were launched in 2010. They offer unparalleled levels of safety for the livestock, crew and vessel, and can transport 7000 cattle, 25,000 sheep, or a combination of both.

Wellard Agri owns/leases and operates fourteen farms covering 56,000 hectares across three main agri-hubs. The two northern hubs are located at Dongara and Watheroo in Western Australia’s central midlands and one is located at Kojonup in the Great Southern region of WA.

The Dongara hub is home to The Grange, a 19,500 hectare property which is considered one of Western Australia’s blue chip farming properties and farmed on a 50-50 cropping / livestock basis.

The remaining landholding totals more than 36,000 hectares, of which 14,500 hectares (23,000 hectares – Total) is cropped to a variety of grains and legumes. The remaining land is devoted to sheep production, including the Hyfield Poll Merino stud at Kojonup.

Wellard Agri also has operations in the farm machinery sector, through ownership of the CLAAS Harvest Centres at Esperance, Katanning, Wongan Hills and Geraldton for the Landpower range of farm machinery.

Visit www.wellard.com.au