A state government inquiry has failed to recognise the impact of the live sheep by sea trade ban on sheep producers across NSW, farmers have warned.
On Wednesday a NSW government inquiry handed down its final report into the effects of the live sheep by sea trade shutdown, delivering just one recommendation - that the state monitor the impacts of the trade ban on NSW.
NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said the report had come as a bitter disappointment for farmers across NSW, who were set to take a huge hit as a result of the shutdown.
"Baseless activism is behind this ban, and it will ruin the farming families and communities who have been producing sheep to feed the world right here in NSW," Mr Martin said.
"Monitoring how this ban will impact our state is one thing, but we've already done the numbers, and we know exactly how devastating this shutdown will be for our sheep industry.
"NSW sheep and lamb prices are likely to take a 14 per cent hit over just two years as the ban takes effect - and yet it's radio silence from our state government on any support as our sheep industry faces what could well be its death knell."
The Minns Government must call on the Federal Government to reverse the live sheep by sea trade ban as soon as possible, Mr Martin said, with work to monitor the ban's impacts not enough to support the sheep industry in NSW.
"The NSW Government should be proactively monitoring the impacts of this trade ban on the state and acting swiftly before the damage spirals out of control - but this is the bare minimum our farmers and industry should be able to expect," Mr Martin said.
"This decision to ban the trade is senseless and baseless, and it defies logic that in our current environment, our government is shutting trade doors, not opening them.
"Our economy needs this trade, and our farming communities do too - so when is someone going to step up and stop this ban before it's all too late?"
