Revelations about the alleged methods used to gather footage taken of live export sheep being mistreated have prompted widespread anger and dismay across the livestock industry.
Producer bodies and livestock agents have called for immediate action after damning leaked emails were revealed that indicated Animals Australia offered thousands of dollars in payments for footage of distressed animals, and provided instructions on how to get the most sensational shots.
The industry had been concerned about the possible flow on of a ban on live sheep exports to live cattle exports and the impact on prices and farmer returns.
Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock Group president Leonard Vallance said the emails were damning evidence in the eyes of the public and farmers.
“They have no credibility at all. We have long suspected this,” Mr Vallance said.
He called for clear leadership from the Prime Minister and Trade Minister for an inquiry and immediate removal of Animals Australia’s charity status pending that inquiry.
He said people were giving money to Animals Australia believing they were looking after animal welfare, but they did not.
“We are talking about the livelihoods of honest, hard working people in an industry that feeds the world,” he said.
Mr Vallance said critics were quick to denigrate agriculture, particularly animal production, with “all sorts of claims, but these revelations put a dark cloud over their modus operandi”.
“They can no longer be trusted. They must be held to account,” he said.
The live export industry needed to be properly valued, he said.
The effect of a ban on live sheep exports would be a ban on live export of cattle, goats and seedstock.
The VFF’s view was that compensation would be needed if bans were put in place.
Mr Vallance said the cost of compensation would run into billions of dollars.
Government had failed farmers in not properly regulating the industry.
“The guidelines are the toughest in the world. No other country has guidelines,” he said.
HF Richardson principal owner Will Richardson, Geelong, said the footage of live sheep exports had affected livestock producers and the circumstances of the footage being taken now needed to be investigated.
“We do not have the killing capacity in Victoria for all the sheep produced,” Mr Richardson said.
The live export sheep trade was a good market for the heavier end of Merino wethers.
“The live trade helps, particularly during a dry year across such a wide area of NSW and Victoria,” he said.
“NSW usually takes a lot of our weaners and in a dry year like this one, the live exporters have taken up the slack.”
Casterton beef producer Kelvin Bateman, Baroona, said cattle producers needed the extra inquiry provided by live export buyers.
If live exports were banned that would be one less buyer and one less bidder in the market, he said.
Some of the Bateman’s steers sold at Casterton recently were bought for export.
Mr Bateman said without the competition, prices could have been four to five cents a kilogram lower.
However, the exports had to be done correctly as far as animal health and welfare was concerned, he said.
The stock needed to be looked after and fed properly.
If it was done properly people accept it, if not animal activists could use it against the industry, Mr Bateman said.
