NFF backs Keep the Sheep rally, invites farmers to join the protest

The National Farmers’ Federation has called on its members to make their views about the Labor government’s policies heard.

The National Farmers’ Federation is teaming up with West Australia’s Save the Sheep campaign to protest against the Albanese government, spurred on by a string of policies it says are driven by “anti-farming activism”.

NFF president David Jochinke has called on members to rally outside Parliament House in Canberra in a show of force against the industry’s detractors and government policy makers.

The rally was first organised by Save the Sheep campaigners to draw attention to the Labor government’s “failures across agriculture”.

Mr Jochinke acknowledged it was “an unusual step” for the peak farming lobby to rally, not having done so since 1985 when about 45,000 farmers gathered to protest against high taxes and interest rates.

“But we hope it will send a powerful message to decision-makers ahead of the next election that these decisions need to stop,” Mr Jochinke said, referring to the Labor government’s phasing out of live sheep exports by sea within four years, its pledge to claw back 450GL of water from the Murray darling Basin and mooted changes to superannuation that would threaten thousands of family farms.

“We just want a return to common sense. We want policies informed by farmers’ lived experience and designed to grow the industry, not diminish it to appease activist agendas,” he said.

“We’re seeing a growing number of decisions being driven by anti-farming activism, not evidence … We’re being drowned out by the noisy minority who want to shut us down.”

The Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders has thrown its support behind the NFF, telling its members the rally presented an opportunity not to be missed to let the government know the industry’s concerns.

“The Association believes the issue is far bigger than just the live sheep trade. Farmer’s rights are being threatened,” AASMB president Geoff Davidson said.

“What is next, glyphosate, sustainable livestock transport or legitimate animal health procedures?”