Government to legislate live sheep export ban from May 2028

Outraged farmers’ leaders are vowing to fight on after the Albanese government announced an end-date for live-sheep exports, calling it a blow to economic and personal wellbeing.

Sheep being prepared for loading onto a vessel. Picture: supplied

Australia’s live sheep export trade will be banned from May 1, 2028, with the Albanese government funding a $107m package to help farmers transition out of the industry.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt announced the end date for the trade in Perth on Saturday where he released a long-awaited report that made 28 recommendations about the structure of the phase-out of the trade.

The decision has outraged farmers and the live export industry and the Nationals have vowed to reinstate the trade if the Coalition wins government at the next election. Oppsotion has quickly come from groups including the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council, National Farmers’ Federation, Sheep Producers Australia and Wool Producers Australia.

But the RSPCA, in welcoming the announcement, said sheep farmers were being given “practical and tangible’’ means to transition out of the trade.

Tuesday’s federal budget will include $107m over five years to aid the industry as it copes with the shutdown, and legislation to ban live sheep exports by sea will be introduced to parliament this term.

“We are giving certainty to sheep producers and the supply chain by legislating the date, and putting $107 million on the table to enable an orderly and well-planned transition away from the trade,” Senator Watt said.

“This is a comprehensive package that will assist to strengthen supply chains, develop market opportunities and improve animal welfare.

“With the Australian sheepmeat sector booming, our sheep industry has a bright future.

“This support will help it continue to grow, creating more local jobs through increased value adding.

Senator Murray Watt. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Transition support is focused on helping affected individuals, businesses and communities to plan for, respond and adjust to the phase out.

“Importantly, it will be available to help all parts of the sheep industry supply chain, from farmers, to truckies, to shearers and processors.

“We are putting support on the table now so that people can start planning and acting now.

“We want to ensure those affected by the phase are well-positioned, resilient and ready when the trade ends in 2028.”

Farming groups widely condemned the decision, which the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council described as a “complete and utter disgrace” designed to appeal to inner-city voters.

“This is a paltry package that completely ignores the complexity of the Australian sheep farming supply chain,” ALEC chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said.

“It’s an insulting way to attempt to compensate for a ban that will decimate WA farmers and their families.

“Not only will all of Australia’s agriculture industry feel let down by Minister Watt’s announcement today, but all West Australians will feel let down by their federal Labor MPs, who have sold out their farmers for east coast votes.”

National Farmers’ Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said the timing of the shutdown ignored industry advice and was a “betrayal” of Australian farmers.

“Murray Watt has decided to book us on the express train to disaster, but this isn’t the final chapter in this story. We’ll keep fighting,” Mr Mahar said.

“This is not just a betrayal of Australian farmers. It runs directly counter to our national interests. We’re turning our back on crucial Middle Eastern partners who have plead for this trade to continue.

National Farmers' Federation CEO Tony Mahar. Picture: AAP

“It also shows complete ignorance to the real-world implications of a ban, which will inevitably lead to poorer animal welfare outcomes.

“This doesn’t end the global demand for live sheep. Today’s announcement just sentences foreign sheep to the practices we banned a decade ago.”

Farmers, truck drivers, shearers and other workers along the supply chain will share a $64.6m package to diversify into new areas, with the government particularly encouraging expansion of the chilled meat sector.

The funding be forward-loaded to encourage early adoption.

$27.7 will go towards increasing market opportunities in Australia and overseas, particularly focusing on increasing mutton sales.

Senator Watt has previously said the end date would not be during the current term of government and that live cattle exports would not be affected.

Nationals federal leader David Littleproud criticised the amount of funding and the timing of the announcement, which came after Senator Watt and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met farmers at Beef Week in Rockhampton during the week.

“Industry has never had the science explained to them why they are closing the industry down,” Mr Littleproud said.

“Compensation of just $64.6 million is an insult, especially when Meat and Livestock Australia figures show live sheep exports were 84,430 in December 2023, which was a 177 per cent increase in comparison with November export (58,732) and a 44 per cent increase on December 2022 exports (30,531).

“The legislation will be introduced in this term of parliament, even though the industry embraced world leading animal welfare reforms in 2019, not only in transport but also the processing of sheep in the Middle East.”

The report handed down on Saturday was compiled by a panel that held meetings with farmers throughout Western Australia, where the trade is based.

The government agreed with 25 of the panel’s recommendations and “noted” five.

Farmers have been scathing of Labor’s long-held policy to end the industry.

They have argued that the controversial trade has significantly improved its practices since 2018, when thousands of sheep died aboard livestock vessels due to overcrowding and excessive heat.

Sheep Producers Australia CEO Bonnie Skinner said the government’s actions were a bitter blow for farmers in Western Australia already battling drought.

“This announcement further erodes what little trust existed between producers and the federal government and this will leave them and their rural communities behind,” she said.

Farming groups have promised to campaign heavily against the shutdown, calling it a “red line” that could not be crossed because, they said, it put activist campaigns and ideology ahead of a functioning, legal industry that offered alternative markets to sheep producers in the nation’s west.

Most of the live sheep exported from Australia are sent to the Middle East, where they are slaughtered according to halal religious practices.

Middle Eastern governments have pleaded with the Albanese government not to end the trade, saying it would hurt trade relations.

Farmers have argued that trading partners that currently buy Australian sheep, which are raised and exported according to strict welfare conditions, will replace them with sheep from other countries that do not have such stringent measures.

Wool Producers Australia CEO Jo Hall said the decision was a blow to rural businesses and mental health.

“What we have seen today is a government so removed from agriculture and the people who work in and rely on this industry. Instead, the government chooses to add to the burden of the current situation – enough is enough.” Ms Hall said.

It comes after livestock exporters last month asked the Albanese government to delay the moratorium on live sheep exports across the northern hemisphere summer to help farmers in Western Australia struggling through drought.

WA Labor Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis called for a 10-day delay in the annual summer moratorium of live sheep exports from Fremantle to the Middle East to help keep market avenues open for struggling farmers after Perth endured its driest seven months on record.

Some farmers in the state have said they were preparing to slaughter their sheep and bury them in pits because they did not have enough pasture and could not find a buyer to take them, even for free.

O’Connor Liberal federal MP Rick Wilson, who met trading partners in Kuwait last week, said Middle Eastern countries would be forced to source their stock from elsewhere.

“If Labor succeeds in banning live exports from Australia, Kuwait will be left in the lurch, having to source live sheep from nations that are less reliable suppliers,” Mr Wilson said.

Animal welfare groups welcomed the move, which RSPCA Australia chief executive Richard Mussell said provided a clear way forward.

“A swift and orderly phase-out of live-sheep export, with appropriate measures to safeguard animal welfare in the meantime, is the right decision for Australian sheep and Australian farmers,” Mr Mussell said.

“We’re pleased that the government has agreed to practical and tangible measures to support farmers to transition away from this trade. The RSPCA supports these initiatives, such as measures to expand processing capacity here in Australia,” he said.

“We know that supporting Australians involved in the sheep industry supply chain is critical to the success of this phase-out, so we congratulate the government for making this commitment and funding it in this year’s budget.”