Tiny fly delays Australia-China cattle trade

Sydney

AN insect the size of a pen tip is frustrating efforts by Australia to sign a deal, potentially worth billions of dollars, to export live cattle to China to feed its fast-growing appetite for red meat.

Talks have stalled over the presence in the Australian herd of Bluetongue disease, a virus which is spread by midges, a tiny fly. While the disease usually has little effect on cattle, it would pose a major threat to China's 140 million-strong sheep flock, the world's largest.