WESTERN Australian-based live sheep exporter Wellard has donated 300 quality Western Australian lambs and hoggets to hunger relief agency Foodbank WA as part of the Lamb Legends campaign.

For the second consecutive year, Wellard has been the single largest contributor to the campaign, which aims to provide fresh meat to people who struggle to put a nutritious meal on their dinner table.

Wellard livestock manager Paul Mahony said the company bought 133 lambs and hoggets at Muchea and Katanning sheep sales to donate to Foodbank WA. The company also donated an additional 167 lambs that were processed and dressed at its Beaufort River Meats abattoir in Kojonup, to take its contribution to 300 sheep in total.

Foodbank also received an additional 137 sheep donated by vendors and other processors and live export companies during the Lamb Legends campaign.

“Wellard is a rural citizen at heart and is proud to be looking after the people in our community,” Mr Mahony said.

“The WA Nationals, Paul Brown MLC and Colin Holt MLC, must also be complimented for their personal commitment and enthusiasm for this campaign, which has made it so successful.”

The Lamb Legends campaign is an initiative of the Nationals WA and has been supported by sheep graziers, livestock vendors, transport companies and meat processors. Haines Transport trucked the sheep to Fletcher International which processed and dressed them for distribution by Foodbank. The selling agents also donated their commission on the sheep purchased for Foodbank.

“It’s great to see a number of businesses rally behind such a meaningful and hardworking charitable organisation, it brings a great sense of what it means to be a part of a rural community,” Mr Mahony said.

Last year, Foodbank WA provided more than 5.6 million meals to disadvantaged WA families. The animals donated by Wellard and others will provide about 55,000 portions of meat for distribution by Foodbank WA.

This year Foodbank WA is hoping to receive 21 tonne of lamb to celebrate its 21st year of helping WA people in need.

The sheep and lamb donation is the third time Wellard has supported Foodbank. In November 2012 Wellard provided Foodbank in Queensland with its biggest ever single donation of livestock (25 cattle) using a newly created beef cattle supply network.

Source: Wellard.