US APPAREL retailers are adamant that Australian wool growers should honour their commitment to stop mulesing by the end of 2010.
The National Retail Federation, representing major US retailers, was this week responding to a statement on the Bayer Better Choices website indicating, "NRF supports mulesing with pain relief beyond 2010".
NRF vice-president Erik Autor said it was the federation's understanding the Australian wool industry would end mulesing by the December 2010 deadline and replace it with alternatives such as clips.
"In the meantime, analgesics should be administered to animals that must be mulesed until the alternatives are in place," Mr Autor said.
"We are unconvinced by PETA's argument that clips are another form of mulesing.
"That said, retailers expect that Australian industry will adhere to its 2010 timeframe.
"So, it is inaccurate to say that we support mulesing with pain relief beyond 2010.
"We acknowledge the best solution to the mulesing issue, the genetics program, will take additional time to implement," he said.
Mr Autor said his federation membership viewed the phase-out of mulesing as a multi-step process.
For the short term, until December 2010, mulesed animals will be treated with analgesics; in the medium term mulesing will be replaced with clips or other alternatives by December 2010; longer term, the genetics program will proceed with a goal to produce bare-breech animals.
Immediately after being contacted this week by The Weekly Times, Bayer removed the NRF reference to the mulesing deadline and the joint statement from the 40 major wool processors who were advocating that mulesing should be allowed to continue beyond 2010 until suitable alternatives were available.
The manager of Bayer's Better Choices program, Allan Giffard, said Bayer had no interest in getting involved in the industry politics.
"Our interest is only the welfare of the animal," Mr Giffard said.
