THE hiring of a US media company to promote the phasing out of Australia's live sheep industry has been met with outrage from farmers.
Revelations that the federal government has allocated $2.3m to global company Universal Media were met with criticism from the opposition.
Nationals leader David Littleproud said live sheep export farmers had been dealt another 'insulting' blow by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in awarding the tender to the Pennsylvania-based company.
“Labor continues to treat our live sheep farmers with callous regard,” Mr Littleproud said.
“Live sheep export farmers being forced to shut down their crucial trade will not be given even one cent of support until after the next election."
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Australia's live sheep export trade will end in 2028 and in December the government added a further $32.7 million to the $107 million transition assistance package designed to help individuals, communities, and businesses with the industry-wide change.
The package will deliver key elements relating to additional processing capacity for the sheep industry and community wellbeing.
Local sheep farmer David Laurence said eastern states would be affected by the closing down of live exports.
"Western Australia couldn't be able to kill all their sheep, so once the export shuts down, they may come out east,” Mr Laurence said.
“It's bloody terrible what they've done to the farmers over there.
“Most of our mutton goes to exports, and in Australia we consume nearly half of our lambs here.
“A lot of sheep from WA can end up in the eastern states, like when the season mucked up last year, a heap of sheep came over.”
According to government figures, live exports were worth almost $77 million of the $4.57 billion total lamb and mutton export in 2022-23.
Live sheep exports have shrunk by $338 million since 2004, and sheep meat exports have quadrupled.
Mr Littleproud said the government had turned its back on the farming industry and treated live sheep farmers with contempt.
"In the meantime, Labor is happy to throw money at overseas companies to spruik their terrible plan," he said.
"If elected, my first role as Agriculture Minister will be to travel to the Middle East, to build those important relationships, and ensure the live sheep export trade in Australia remains.
"A future coalition government will reinstate the live sheep export trade.”
Mr Laurence said other countries which are expected to fill the market void after the shutdown did not have Australia’s high animal welfare practices.
“That’s exactly right that more will die,” he said.
“There's less sheep killed on boats than on farms – they are pretty well looked after with the conditions these days.
“So, it definitely won’t be the same standard – and Australia misses out.”
