Dry Season Taskforce calls on Federal ag minister to extend live-export moratorium deadline

WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis has called on Federal Labor to postpone Australia’s annual live export moratorium as sheep farmers hit crisis point, with many struggling to offload excess stock and facing the grim prospect of euthanasia. It comes after the State Government’s new Dry Season Taskforce, appointed to help producers facing tough seasonal conditions, met for the first time on April 19. Ms Jarvis said the taskforce had identified an urgent need for a “release valve” for WA’s sheep market in the form of additional time to export livestock out of the country. In a letter to Federal Agricultural Minister Murray Watt on Monday, she requested an extra 10 days of live export to be allowed before the yearly ban on the trade came into place. “As you are aware, Western Australian farmers are facing one of the worst dry seasons on record, which is impacting agricultural producers across all of our regions,” the letter reads. “The taskforce identified that WA sheep producers have excess stock in the system and need a relief valve.” In 2019, the Federal Government introduced an annual three-month moratorium on live sheep exports from Australia to the Middle East during the northern hemisphere summer. The moratorium, which effectively bans the export of Australian sheep to the region during the hottest time of year, was introduced after 2400 sheep died of heat stress on the ship Awassi Express in 2017. Ms Jarvis has requested that the moratorium start after June 24, as opposed to the planned start date of June 14, “subject to favourable weather conditions in the northern hemisphere and the usual animal welfare considerations”. The call to postpone the moratorium also follows a recent crisis meeting at Yornup, when up to 300 people attended and share their struggles to sell sheep and acquire feed and water during the dry conditions. WAFarmers President John Hassell welcomed the call to shorten the yearly live export ban and said “every little bit helps.” “I think it’s a good call. The Government actually needs to look at the evidence and the evidence shows the moratorium should be shortened altogether down to August, because June and July aren’t the months (when) the mortality increases,” he said. Mr Hassell said the moratorium should be cut back more regardless, not only for the benefit of sheep farmers, but for livestock exporters who could carry out their work for longer. “If Murray Watt was absolutely serious about using science, then the moratorium should be shortened to August alone.” Federal Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson has also called on Senator Watt to postpone the moratorium, saying an extension to the deadline could see at least one or two extra voyages leave with a total of 100,000 sheep from WA. “With no rain forecast in the short to medium term, I cannot over-emphasise how important this decision is to the WA livestock industry and the hardworking, decent farmers who will suffer enormous emotional harm if forced to destroy their livestock,” Mr Wilson said. Senator Watt has been contacted for comment. As well as singling out the need to shorten the moratorium, the Dry Season Taskforce identified other actions to help alleviate the pressure off of sheep farmers. These plans included an audit on current figures for livestock feed required, considering additional assistance measures to support farmers experiencing immediate hardship, and providing opportunities to support increased processing and export (airfreight) capacity.