WA Livestock Research Council forum gives voice to the Humphry family’s challenges due to the live export ban

WA sheep producers gained a renewed belief in the future of livestock at an informative forum designed to improve sheep enterprise resilience through science and attitude. The WA Livestock Research Council’s forum — themed “Why Livestock Matters: The Reasons to Believe” — was held at the Humphry family’s mixed sheep and cropping farm in Walebing on July 24. WALRC chair Bronwyn Clarke welcomed 90 visitors to hear about what could strengthen their business from a diverse range of speakers with topics relevant to industry challenges. “We want to know the gaps of your system so we can pass on this information to Meat and Livestock Australia,” she said. Forum host Michael Humphry, who was interviewed by WALRC executive officer Amy Coombe, said his family’s sheep enterprise had “evolved through science”. “We run a heavy stocking rate, with late lambing beginning July 1, which leads us to autumn shearing,” he said. “This allows us to sell our wethers early and get grass established for next year’s lambs. It worked brilliantly until two years ago.” That was when the Federal Government announced the live sheep export ban by sea was to begin on May 1, 2028. WA’s traditional dependency on the live sheep export trade to sell excess wethers was scrutinised in 2023 by the Labor Government, which swung open the door to radical activists. The Government’s ban policy defied Saudi Arabia’s live sheep market demand of about 4 million head after it decided to accept Australia’s rigorous Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System standards. This market represented an upholding of world-class animal welfare standards and how Australia’s live export sheep trade had improved animal welfare outcomes on a global scale. Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins visited WA in July to announce the breakdown of the $139.7 million transition assistance package aimed to help farmers and the wider industry to transition away from live sheep exports. Mr Humphry said the finance package was “too little and too late”. “The reduced numbers of sheep are gone at our farm — we have increased cropping and decreased pastures,” he said. “Live sheep export was everything. It filled the hole in the market at the end of winter.” He said feedlots were able to finish the wethers for the early live export ships. “We consistently put wethers on the first ships of the season,” he said. “The benefit to us was we were able to get rid of them and grow grass for next season’s lambs. “Our sheep enterprise worked on supplying wethers for live export for as long as the trade has existed. “I wasn’t expecting this live export phase out.” Mr Humphry said his thought was the Government would ban the live trade only in the Eastern States and let it carry on in WA. “That didn’t happen and I was caught out,” he said. “We were snookered after buying another farm in 2021 and keeping our 2022 wethers. The live export ban announcement of 2023 was at the time of a very dry year, similar to 1914 when the Walebing post office recorded only 192mm for the year. “Recently, my farm adviser said my sheep paddocks have not paid the rates in two years — the extra interest from extra borrowings as a consequence of the ban decision will be $20 for every sheep we can dream of producing in perpetuity “ At the forum, Mr Humphry said it was fabulous to hear of sheep now being sold for $200/head due to low supply. “I don’t know if we will get a lot of that, the first 10 per cent of that will be compliments of Albo and his thinking mate,” he said. “The day of the announcement, I couldn’t even work because I was so upset with the uncertainty. “I got to a point that I shouted out and carried on like a headless chook.” He said his health suffered and he partly blamed the stress of the export ban. Mr Humphry said his son, Blair, who had been back on the farm for seven years looking after the cropping, would contribute more to the livestock program. “He knows how to make money from sheep,” he said.. Blair, who studied agricultural science at the University of WA and worked as a research agronomist for three years, said he was committed to keeping the family’s sheep enterprise profitable. “I have always been around sheep — they are an integral part of our family farm business,” he said. “We run a flexible cropping program of 1450ha, including wheat, barley canola, oats, lupins.” The Humphrys have 550ha of arable pasture. Sheep numbers include 3200 Cranmore blood breeding ewes all mated to Merinos, with 600 wethers carried over. “Two years ago, we were 50-50 cropping and sheep enterprise — that’s changed to 75-25,” Blair said. “We will be lowering our summer stocking rate to below 5 DSE and pushing winter stocking up to 10 to 12 from 8 to 9. “We need to increase our lambing percentage, pushing it up to 100 per cent.” Blair aims to fill a hole in the market from late June to early August in which to sell old-season Merino lambs. “With market demands, we may start some fat lambs,” he said. “We will continue making smart investments in sheep, but we need to draw the line to remain viable.” He said that meant keeping weight on pregnant ewes at low cost using confinement feeding, and crop grazing to gain extra pasture growth. Blair plans to continue to adjust the Merino genetics from a former focus on fleece weight to producing an increased lamb-based flock, particularly with high survivability traits.