SHEEP Producers Australia has reiterated its strong opposition to the banning of live sheep exports by sea as the National Farmer Rally starts at Parliament House in Canberra today.
The rally starts at 11am today and the National Farmers Federation has provided a livestream for those who cannot attend and link to sign the #NationalAgRally petition supporting a fair go for Australian farmers.
📽️ Watch the livestream here.
👉 Sign the petition: https://bit.ly/3Xpv93Y
Approximate times for rally speakers at the Federation Mall are:
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11am opening by MC, SA beef producer Gillian Fennell
11.05am Ben Sutherland, Keep the Sheep
11.07am David Jochinke, NFF
11.12am John Hassell, WA Farmers
11.15am Peter Dutton MP, Leader of the Opposition
11.35am David Littleproud, Shadow Agricultural Minister
11.55am Shane McCarthy, AgForce Queensland
12pm Xavier Martin, NSW Farmers
12.05 Entertainment San & Sam
12.20pm David Connolly, Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association
12.25pm Australian Livestock Road Transport Association
12.30pm Zara Lowein, National Irrigators’ Council
12.40pm Allan Piggott, Livestock SA
12.45pm Jo Hall, Wool Producers Australia
1pm Close by MC with entertainment to follow
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SPA said the rally is about raising a united voice for agriculture to the attention of all decision makers of all political persuasions.
SPA chair Andrew Spencer Chair Sheep Producers Australia said that the rally is a chance for agriculture to come together to send a clear and positive message that those involved in agriculture will not accept policies that damage our industries for political purposes.
“This is an opportunity for our parliamentarians to be reminded of the value of agriculture, and sheep producers in particular, to the Australian economy, society, and our regional communities.
“Policy decisions must be informed by farmers’ lived experience and designed to sustain and strengthen the industry. Australian agriculture’s future depends on policies grounded in science, data, and evidence,” Mr Spencer said.
SPA director and WA sheep producer Bindi Murray said Sheep Producers Australia continues to strongly oppose banning live sheep exports.
“We have been working hard to demonstrate the impact this ban would have on our producers and their communities and also to amplify the voices of those affected in this debate.
“We have been fighting for the best outcomes for sheep producers on this issue for many years,” she said.
“This fight will continue.
“We support the #KeeptheSheep campaign as a rejection of this policy and as a movement of the grassroots industry and supply chain to change this policy,” Ms Murray said.
“This rally will demonstrate the frustration that builds across the whole industry and nation when good people and communities are impacted by bad policy.”
Sheep Producers Australia said it has long held the position that the policy decisions made for Australian agriculture must be evidence-based, strategic, inclusive, and collaborative.
The rally on the lawns of Parliament House will send Australia’s politicians a powerful message that diverting from this threatens the future of industry, businesses, families, and communities, SPA said.
There have been over 80k signatories to date to the #KeeptheSheep campaign. Australians are sending a very clear message that the live sheep ban is setting an appalling precedent that agricultural policy can be set on political ideology rather than facts and evidence, SPA said.
We farm at Yealering WA, we produce 3,500 merino lambs per year and usually buy in weaned lambs to go with our lambs for extra numbers. Totalling about 5,000 lambs.
All lambs are shorn and drafted into lines before they go into the feedlot. By this time there age is about 9-10 months .
Not all lambs fall into the processors specifications.
The heavy lambs and lambs that have cut their two adult teeth are drafted into a separate pen and assigned for live export . Also lambs that don’t finish quickly enough are drafted off for export. Some years the processors prefer heavy lambs. Some years they prefer medium lambs. We don’t know until the time arrives.
This last year has been extremely difficult and stressful. All our lambs bar 10% and mutton were trucked across to S.A , Victoria or NSW, because the processors preferred to do special deals with bigger suppliers and bigger feedlots here in WA. This strategy left operators like ourselves high and dry and without live export by sea we had no other options.
No live export by sea in WA means no sheep industry in WA. For farmers like myself. The industry has to be able to support and finance on farm infrastructure and provide confidence for us to operate in the future.
Small cottage industry in WA just don’t cut the mustard.