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Vroon Holding, which billed itself as the largest provider of premium livestock tonnage, is the latest operator to exit the segment. The company highlights that after more than 60 years, it is exiting the livestock segment to focus on its operations in energy, liquids, infrastructure, and offshore wind.
Under the terms of the agreement, Vroon Holdings is selling its subsidiary Livestock Express to a family-owned Australian agribusiness group, Heytesbury. The deal includes Vroon's 11 owned livestock carriers as well as its technical management services for third-party vessels and its operations, including an office in Singapore.
Livestock Express is notable in the sector as an independent carrier and a pioneer in the development of modern, purpose-built vessels. In an industry known for converting old ships and rickety operations often criticized by animal rights activists, Vroon highlights that it built 13 of the fewer than 20 purpose-built livestock vessels operated worldwide. Between 2013 and 2017, the company introduced the majority of its current fleet, which it says is designed for the welfare of its livestock cargoes.
The company has operations worldwide, and it reports a strong presence in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Portugal, and Ireland. It transports 600,000 to 750,000 head of livestock annually, including cattle, sheep, horses, and goats. Its ships operate in South America, China, Southeast Asia, and the Gulf.
Terms of the sale were not reported, but Vroon Holding says it will further strengthen its financial position. It says it will use the deal to expand its operations in the energy and liquid markets, as well as emergency response and rescue, and offshore infrastructure and offshore wind.
Heytesbury is a large breeder and trader of cattle from northern Australia. It says it focuses on markets in Southeast Asia and, in particular, in Indonesia. The company has also been involved in shipping, having acquired the vessel Ocean Swagman (7,850 dwt) from Wellard in 2019. The ship, built in 2009, has a capacity of approximately 7,000 head of cattle. Heytesbury reports Livestock Express will continue to operate as an independent carrier.
Vroon is the latest large player to exit the controversial livestock transport market. Animal activists continue to press for regulations to end live transport, arguing it is inhuman. Many of the smaller ships and independently owned ones in the sector have a poor reputation for safety and sanitation.
Wellard, once described as Australia's largest live export business, also began its exit from the sector and, in 2024, announced it had put its final ship up for sale. The business was sold in January 2025, closing down an operation that traced its roots to 1950.
After being long criticized, the Australian Parliament in 2024 passed laws to end live sheep exports by sea from May 1, 2028. It is currently in a phased wind-down of the business as animal rights activists push to increase the bans. New Zealand enacted a wider ban in 2024 on the live export of livestock, including cattle, sheep, deer, and goats. Farming groups have been pressing for a repeal, but as of March, the government said it would not make any changes to the ban during its current term. Elsewhere, countries such as Argentina restored some live export, while many countries have increased their enforcement efforts on the ships in the sector.
Fuente: Maritime Executive
