In an unprecedented move to date, sheep producers and industry members in South Australia held a live sheep export crisis meeting the day before a coalition led roadshow started its schedule around Western Australia to meet with producers on the same subject.
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About 100 farmers and industry members attended the meeting in Adelaide showing solidarity across Australia for the role live sheep export and the Western Australian sheep industry play in maintaining the sheep industry nationally.
Corrigin sheep producer and industry advocate Steven Bolt attended the interstate meeting and said it proved how far the effects of the government's policy to ban live sheep exports had already reached.
"To get 100 growers to travel to Adelaide on a Tuesday afternoon showed the level of concern," Mr Bolt said.
"The theme of the day was certainly their level of concern about this policy and what impact it is having on not only their sheep industry but also the long term viability of the Merino industry in WA.
"For Rowan Ramsey as the chair of the coalition of agriculture policy committee, along with livestock SA and and Merino SA this was a crisis meeting of - how do they not only support WA industry and also support their own industry, but also aim to make the government aware of how unhappy producers across Australia are with this policy, it doesn't only affect WA."
He said this message of how far reaching and damaging the consequences of this policy have already been and will continue to be, has been a key point highlighted by producers and industry.
"WA has been relied upon time and time again for restocking by the eastern states after droughts," Mr Bolt said.
"If the prices continue to fall and producers keep leaving the industry, this won't be possible."
There have been reports of producers receiving an average of $1.50 a ewe at Katanning, where a consignment of 400 ewes had cost about $15,000 to feed.
On stock agent said it has made him really look at the future of his position, the current state of the WA market has made it hard to think positively.
The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, attended the first of the The Federal Coalition Policy Committee on Agriculture and regional Liberals hosted Live Export Roadshow meetings in Katanning on Wednesday, where about 100 people attended.
The purpose of the roadshow was to go to the farmers and listen to their concerns, their stories and how they are affected by this policy, something the coalition claims the government has not done enough of.
"The government don't even have the courage of their conviction to come out and face them and to explain the science and the economics behind this," Mr Littleproud said.
"And the reason they haven't is because there isn't any.
"They are morally bankrupt.
"Western Australians do it better than anyone else in the world.
"The cattle trade got a second chance in 2011.
"Western Australians deserve a second chance.
"And Albanese and your Premier, who talks a big game, should go and spend some political capital and educate some east coast politicians."
Following the Katanning meeting there was a meeting in Hyden where around 50 people were present, the Merredin leg saw around 35 in attendance rto round out day one.
Thursday saw around 70 at the South Perth location for the Roadshow which then moved to York followed by Brookton on day two.
The roadshow concludes at Wagin Woolorama.
Tamara Hooper
Journalist with Farm Weekly newspaper WA.
Journalist with Farm Weekly newspaper WA.
