Agricultural sector makes last-ditch plea with Prime Minister to reconsider decision to end live sheep exports

The agricultural sector has made a last-ditch plea to the Federal Government to reconsider its decision to phase out live sheep exports, which it says will devastate the industry. The leaders of 23 peak farming groups have written a joint letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urging him to rethink Labor’s policy to end the trade. The West Australian has obtained a copy of the letter — sent to Mr Albanese on Thursday — that claims the Government is not listening to the big farming organisations. “Live export stakeholders are losing confidence in your Government’s ability to work in their best interests and those of the Australian agriculture sector, rural and regional communities that depend on the live sheep export trade,” the letter reads. “This policy will cause harm. It will hurt Australian families and damage Australia’s international standing as a reliable supplier of food and fibre and a trusted trading partner. “We are the voices of Australian agriculture. We need you and your Government to listen to us... we urge you to reconsider.” The Albanese Government is committed to sticking to its promise in the past two Federal elections to end the industry — appointing an independent panel this year to determine how and when that will be done. The panel was due to hand in its report on Saturday but has been granted a one-month extension to October 25 after being overwhelmed by the number of submissions. Since consultation started in March, the panel has received more than 800 written submissions and 3300 survey responses. A delegation of WA sheep producers travelled to Canberra earlier this month to speak directly with Agriculture Minister Murray Watt about the mental toll the policy was having on farmers. The State’s farmers are responsible for 80 per cent of the national live sheep export trade. The Cook Government claimed in August that phase-out would cost WA’s agricultural industry up to $123 million a year and 400 jobs. “The Albanese Government has been clear that we intend to implement the election commitment to phase out live sheep exports, but that it will be done in an orderly way, in consultation with industry and other stakeholders through the independent panel,” a Federal Government spokeswoman told The West. “We have also been clear the end date for live sheep exports by sea will not occur during this term of Parliament. “We will await the report from the independent panel before making any decisions about how best to deliver that transition, and will continue to work with industry to develop growth opportunities, including an expansion of onshore processing, which has seen sheep meat exports increase in real terms by around 200 per cent since 2003.” The industry has made significant improvements in animal welfare outcomes, following the deaths of about 2400 sheep on a ship from Fremantle to the Middle East in 2017. In the past financial year, 906 out of 603,449 sheep died on ships while travelling from Fremantle to a number of overseas ports. The Coalition has vowed to reinstate live sheep exports, even if work has already started to phase out the industry or it has been completely shut down.