VFF president Emma Germano said the move has sent shockwaves across the industry and has left many local farmers questioning the motive of the country’s decision makers.
“The flow-on impact of this decision simply cannot be underestimated and couldn’t come at a worse time with many Western Australian farmers battling severe drought,” Ms Germano said.
“Undoubtably there will be direct impacts, none-the-less the livelihoods and generational farmers that have been destroyed. That is devastating and the mental health impacts will sadly be enormous.
“Decisions like this don’t actually improve animal welfare outcomes. It’s ignoring the fact that Australian farmers are world-leaders in animal welfare practices and are regulated using science-based methods.
“Here we have the government pandering to the demands of minority activists and that is incredibly concerning.”
Ms Germano said the live sheep sea export ban decision will add further strain to an already insecure food security situation.
“It astounds me that as evidence mounts of an increasingly difficult food security outlook, our leaders are in the business of shutting down a critical industry supplying food to millions,” she said.
“Decisions like this don’t just impact those directly involved in the industry.
“It sends a message that your business can be shut down with the stroke of a pen and that leads to massive uncertainty throughout the entire Australian agriculture industry.
“We urgently need leaders that understand the critical importance that our industry plays.
“We help feed millions around the globe, inject billions into the economy and employ hundreds of thousands of people in the country.
“It’s time our leaders understood the decisions they make have very real and potentially dire consequences.”
