Australian Farmers Urge Government to Stop Cancelling Sheep Export Industry

Sheep are seen while being transported to the Al Kuwait in Fremantle, Australia, on June 16, 2020. Paul Kane/Getty Images

Australian farmers have called on the federal government to abandon an election promise that would ban all live sheep exports by sea.

This comes as the Australian government has opened a consultation to establish a time frame and a necessary process for implementing the ban.

In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton said the ban was wrong and that the industry was disappointed with the government.

“This is … not just an issue that affects the livestock export industry. It affects all agriculture,” he said.

“This policy has been driven by an animal activist agenda.”

This photo taken shows a farmer herding sheep near the rural city of Tamworth, Australia, on May 4, 2020. Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

Harvey-Sutton also warned that the ban would result in the unemployment of 3,500 people in Western Australia, a decrease in the sheep industry’s overall value and damaged relationships with key trading partners who relied on Australia for food security.

Australia is a major exporter of live sheep despite significant drops in trade volumes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry data, Australia exported 502,758 sheep in 2022, down from 811,481 in 2020 and 1,118,499 in 2019.

Around 98 percent of the sheep were exported via sea routes in 2022, with most of the exports conducted in Western Australia.

Agriculture Groups Oppose Live Sheep Exports Ban

Following the consultation’s announcement, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) said it stood with 24 other peak agricultural bodies and farmers across Australia in opposing the policy.

“Cancelling an entire industry based on activist demands sets a dangerous precedent,” NFF CEO Tony Mahar said in a statement.

“We are an export-orientated industry. If the government starts cancelling export markets, this sends a seriously bad message to farmers.”

Mahar also noted that the policy was based on an outdated campaign by welfare activists who ignored the significant improvements in animal welfare brought by new infrastructure and practices in the industry.

“If Australia steps back as a global leader in this trade, others with lower standards stand ready to take our place,” He said.

“A phase-out would be a serious retrograde step for animal welfare.”

The NFF was unwilling to participate in the consultation, saying it would not engage with the newly announced consultation panel whose ultimate goal is to shut down live sheep exports.

Consultation on Phasing Out Live Sheep Exports

On March 3, the federal government announced that a consultation on cancelling the live sheep trade was underway.

It said an independent panel chaired by Phillip Glyde, the former CEO of the Murray Darling Basin Authority, would lead the consultation process.

The panel includes Western Australian agriculture expert Sue Middleton, former RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Australia boss Heather Neil, and former Labor minister Warren Snowdon, an advocate for live cattle exports.

The consultation phase is expected to take six months, and the panel is due to submit a report to the government by Sept. 30.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the federal government was carrying out an election promise.

“What we’re doing is implementing an election commitment that we’ve taken to not just one election but to two,” he said in comments obtained by AAP.

“We want to do it in an inclusive way through good consultation with people. We’re not going to rush it.”

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt speaks during a press conference in Brisbane, Australia on July 22, 2022. Dan Peled/Getty Images

While the policy will not come into effect during the current government term, the minister said he wanted to ensure the ban was implemented orderly.

“Phasing out live sheep exports by sea is a complex issue that will impact farmers, businesses, our trading partners, and the communities that participate in the trade,” Watt said.

“I am also conscious that the wider Australian community is interested in the phase-out, including those that want to see animal welfare maintained and improved.”

Regarding compensations, Watt said the government had not made any decision on what affected farmers would receive when the policy took effect.

“I’m not sure that we necessarily are facing a situation where farmers will lose their business or go out of business,” he said.

“Any issues around compensation, structural adjustment, and those kinds of things are exactly the kind of things that we’re going to be asking the panel to give us advice on.”

Meanwhile, the RSPCA and the Australian Alliance for Animals welcomed the consultation, saying it was an “appropriate and sensible move.”

“It’s good to see the government on track to set an end date on this cruel and unfixable live sheep export trade,” said RSPCA Australia CEO Richard Mussell.

“An independent panel, at arms-length from government, with a diversity of expertise–including animal welfare expertise, will be well-placed to advise the government on how best to achieve a phase-out.”

The RSPCA also reiterated its call for the ban to be legislated before 2025, when the current parliament’s term concludes.