Australia and China are about to ink a $1 billion deal that would result in the export of 1 million cattle to the Asian giant. Australian Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the agreement would likely increase the price of cattle and boost income of local farmers.

While the agreement could mean increasing Australia's current live export number to twice its present level, critics instead pushed for ending the country's live animal export industry because of cruelty-to-animal issues.

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In recent months, Australian live animal export encountered problems in Indonesia and some Middle Eastern countries because of the manner the cows and sheep were treated at slaughterhouses and even while on board oceangoing vessels.

"I recently called the Federal Government a pack of sadists when it comes to animal welfare. Turns out evil death cult would have been a better description as far as the live animal export trade is concerned," ABC quotes independent MP Andrew Wilkie.

However, Northern Territory Cattlemens Association CEO Tracey Hayes said the upcoming deal brought back a level of confidence among cattle producers in the territory as they recover from the 2011 blanket ban of live cattle export to Indonesia.

"It's really great for producers to start to have an increase in farm gate returns so they can invest back in their businesses and pay back some debt - all those things that really lend itself to a healthy community," 9News quotes Hayes.

But Hayes admits NT cattle raisers are not in a position to supply the expected demand of 1 million cows based on their existing cattle stock.

In 2013, China imported about 78,000 head of dairy cattle and another 15,000 beef cattle from Australia. Besides China, there is also growing demand for NT cattle in Vietnam and Cambodia, Hayes said.

News of the agreement, which is not part of the Free Trade Agreement discussions between Canberra and Beijing, caused surges on Friday in the shareprices of beef export companies. Stock price of Australian Agricultural Company went up by 8.39 percent to $1.55, while that of Elders jumped 11.43 percent to 19.5 cents.

Tagslive cattle axport, australia-china agreement, beef