Sheep Producers Australia (SPA) recently provided input into the Australian Government’s Periodic Review of the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Method 2021.

Western Australian sheep producer Bindi Murray has been announced as the new Chair of Sheep Producers Australia at today’s Annual General Meeting.

Sheep Producers Australia Chair Andrew Spencer has indicated he will not be seeking reappointment as a board appointed director at November’s Annual General Meeting and will therefore also be stepping down from the Chair’s role.

Sheep Producers Australia would like to acknowledge and welcome the appointment of Tasmanian MP Julie Collins as Federal Agriculture Minister, Senator Anthony Chisholm as Assistant Minister to the Agricultural portfolio, and the announcement of the frontbench by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra yesterday.

Sheep Producers Australia would like to commend and publicly acknowledge the Senators, especially Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie, and Senator David Pocock, who have backed an inquiry into the live export of sheep by sea phase-out legislation and for the support they have shown our rural communities.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the inquiry. Sheep Producers Australia is the national peak body for the Australian sheepmeat industry, representing close to 20,000 sheep production businesses. Sheep Producers Australia opposes the Australian Government's policy to phase out live sheep exports by sea and the Bill, which seeks to legislate the policy.

Sheep Producers Australia provided the Western Australia (WA) Dry Season Taskforce with the survey findings at its last meeting*. The survey was open from 26 April – 8 May 2024 and was completed by just under 650 producers, most of whom were from mixed livestock, grains, fodder, and hay enterprises in the south-west and south-coast.

The decision by the Albanese government to announce the live sheep by sea policy phase-out timeline on Saturday ahead of this week's budget further cements the complete and utter lack of understanding they have for our agricultural industries and support for regional Australians.

Today’s announcement by the Commonwealth has shown a complete disregard for our people and a lack of understanding and awareness of the current situation within Western Australia (WA). Sheep Producers Australia and WoolProducers Australia as the peak industry councils will continue to unite and fight against this ridiculous policy and fight for the people whose livelihoods and mental health are being destroyed.

Sheep Producers Australia, Cattle Australia, and Western Dairy have made the decision to extend the 2024 WA Seasonal and Market Conditions Producer Survey*, now closing next Wednesday 8 May 2024.

Sheep Producers Australia and Cattle Australia welcome today’s announcement by the Cook Government of a $8.6 million funding package to support our Western Australian producers. Today’s funding package has been informed by the Dry Season Taskforce (Taskforce), of which Sheep Producers Australia and Cattle Australia are both members.

Last week 300 farmers from across the South West convened an urgent drought meeting to address what is one of the driest seasons experienced in living memory across what is traditionally the wettest part of the State.

The Western Australian (WA) sheep industry is currently facing an incredibly difficult situation brought on by ongoing dry conditions, financial constraints, and a severely depressed sheep market. Sheep Producers Australia has over the past 12 months been working to communicate the risks of the combination of these factors for sheep producers and the industry.

Sheep Producers Australia’s vision is to be a trusted influencer, leader and advisor for Australian sheep producers, industry, and government. The Policy Council (Council) has oversight over all policy matters, to ensure that Sheep Producers Australia’s policy agenda is strategic, disciplined, and focused, to develop policy and advocate on issues that are relevant to the Australian sheep industry.

Sheep Producers Australia is pleased to announce that Mr Andrew Henderson has been elected to one of the two Board Director positions at yesterday’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). As a national body our vision is to be a trusted influencer, leader and advisor for Australian sheep producers, industry, and government.

Sheep Producers Australia has received the final report for the Tag Procurement Project Following on from the national commitment to transition to electronic sheep eID, Sheep Producers Australia agreed to investigate options for developing and maintaining a national tag tender and procurement system to provide low-cost, incentivised eID tags for Australian sheep producers.

“This is a once in a generation opportunity for our industry to improve our market access. In the lead up to the meetings in Osaka Sheep Producers Australia had called on Minister Farrell and Minister Watt to maintain their resolve and ambition in securing commercially viable and fairer access for Australian sheepmeat.

As negotiations are being finalised around the ambitious Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (A-EU FTA) Australia’s sheep industry is crying out for a level playing field on the EU bloc, insisting the Australian Government must hold fast in securing significant increases in market access for Australian red meat imports.

The Western Australian delegation to Canberra this week included representatives from Sheep Producers Australia, WAFarmers, WoolProducers Australia, the Western Australian Shearing Industry Association, WA Livestock & Rural Transport Association, ASheep, Pastoralist and Graziers Association, wool and sheep farmers.

Sheep Producers Australia is aware of the ABC 7.30 Report online article and television report. We acknowledge that the images and footage is extremely confronting, and the handling of livestock is unacceptable. We have requested that the ABC includes mental health and crisis support details to the online article and programme.