Farm groups' letter to PM: Reverse sheep live-ex ban now

Signed by more than 20 peak industry bodies across key agricultural commodities, the letter says the ban will not only cause irreversible harm to farming sectors but also to Australia's trade and diplomatic partnerships in the Middle East.

It comes on top of promises by live export leaders to follow up with class actions and challenges through the World Trade Organisation if the federal government pushes ahead with the ban.

It also comes on top of farmers unanimously voting to oppose the federal government's incoming biosecurity levy due to fears the money will vanish into department coffers.

The live sheep ban represents a red line for the farming sector. It puts the activist agenda ahead of farmers and rural people, industry leaders say.

The signatories to the letter include the National Farmers' Federation, the Australian Livestock Exporters Council, peak producer representative groups from many states, Australian Dairy Farmers and Grain Producers Australia.

They say they cannot reconcile logic without scientific basis of the phase out of a legitimate world-leading industry for purely domestic political purposes, and therefore cannot accept anything less than a policy reversal.

They also make the point that the move is pointless, given "the stated and likely reversal of this decision by the conservative side of politics should they gain government."

Live export industry leaders have been reporting the proposal has already created damage to Australia's trading relationships with several countries.

This letter says Middle Eastern countries reliant on Australian live sheep exports are critical to diversify Australia's trading partnerships.

"They are crucial investors in Australia's future prosperity, and we have seen a twenty-fold increase in two-way investment in the past 20 years. The phase out policy will jeopardise trade deals Australia is pursuing in the region and will erode our reputation as a reliable economic partner," the groups say in the letter.

Livestock producers and industry leaders have told Farmonline that frustration over the Albanese Government's willingness to trade off agriculture for activist votes had now reached boiling point.

The belief is widespread that the ban signals farming industries are subject to political whims and activist agendas, despite performance and evidence.

National Farmers' Federation president Fiona Simson said the ban was putting at risk Australia's $11.1 billion trade partnerships in the Middle East.

"The message we've heard from these trading partners is that pulling the rug out from under their food supply will have broader impacts on our relationship. We saw that of course with Indonesia in 2011," she said.

"We're worried that we're sleepwalking into another diplomatic gaffe in the Middle East.

"They're marching to the beat of the activists' drum, and we need the prime minister to pull back and look at the bigger picture here before it's too late."

Australian Livestock Exporters' Council chief executive officer Mark Harvey-Sutton said the level of investment in Australia from foreign countries was underpinned by our ability to meet their needs for food.

"To damage longstanding relationships for the sake of crumbs from the activists' table smacks of short term thinking," he said.

Kojonup wool grower and sheep farmer Steve McGuire said the policy represented a net loss.

"No one will be better off - not the sheep, which have the best welfare standards in the world, not the industry and certainly not farmers," he said.

The letter tells the PM he has before him now an opportunity "to do the right thing and work with Australian agriculture, not against it - as this is the choice you will be making."