Live export: Indonesian and Vietnamese abattoirs trial virtual reality training headset

The live export industry is trialling a new virtual reality training tool to help Indonesian and Vietnamese abattoir workers meet Australia’s strict animal welfare standards. The innovation includes a headset and held-held controllers that provide an interactive and realistic virtual environment when teaching staff best practice techniques for stunning cattle. It also helps the workers gain confidence before training with a live animal. It is being funded through the Livestock Export Research and Development Program, a joint initiative of LiveCorp and Meat and Livestock Australia. LiveCorp chief executive Wayne Collier said some Southeast Asian abattoirs processed only a few animals a day, which meant fewer training opportunities. “The VR training tool can be used for new staff, as well as checking and refining techniques for existing staff,” he said. “From discussions during the demonstrations, it also has the potential to extend the industry’s animal welfare influence well beyond live export supply chains, including into universities teaching veterinary science.” Mr Collier said the tool had been tested on about 100 users at several training courses. It includes safety information and step-by-step instructions on preparing and using stunning equipment, while the user’s perspective can be mirrored on an external screen for training staff to review. Forum AWO, a collective of animal welfare officers from feedlots and abattoirs that receive Australian cattle, was among the groups to receive a demonstration. Forum AWO chair Pak Ismail Alim said the device was a “very accessible and versatile tool”. Since the introduction in 2012 of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), Australian animal welfare standards must be met from the farm gate to the point of slaughter overseas. Mr Collier said having Australian exporters in Indonesia and Vietnam had prompted conversations around animal welfare that “would not otherwise have happened”. “One of the outcomes is the significant use of pre-slaughter stunning, as well as improved animal handling and slaughter practices generally,” he said. “In Indonesia, more than 90 per cent of the abattoirs processing Australian-bred cattle are using stunning, while Vietnam recently introduced animal welfare standards that promote stunning as best practice for local as well as Australian-bred cattle.” Trials are now under way in Vietnam to collect data on the performance of abattoir trainees using the VR tool to assess its efficiency in improving stunning accuracy compared to conventional training methods.