The federal government is still to decide when the axe hanging over the nation's live sheep by sea export industry will fall almost five months after receiving an independent report advising on the timing of the transition.
While the Nationals have called for the reformed industry to be given a "second chance" like that handed to live cattle more than a decade ago.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt has told ACM Agri that the report was still being considered by the government and that it was "not really possible to put a time frame on when we will be releasing that."
"I am certainly conscious that people, particularly in Western Australia, are keen to see the outcome of that as soon as possible," he said.
"As soon as we have a decision to announce then we will be making it."
The government has held fast to its 2018 policy pledge to ban the $85 million trade and was handed a report in late October last year authored by an Independent Panel formed to advise it on how and when to best phaseout the industry.
Labor has also repeatedly said it will take its time to ensure the transition is managed as optimally as possible for stakeholders.
It is unknown if the decision-making has reached Cabinet or gone through the government's finance committee where questions around compensation for farmers will likely need to be discussed.
However, Nationals leader David Littleproud said local sheep farmers deserved "a second chance" as live cattle exporters received in 2011, following a meeting with farmers in Katanning in WA on Wednesday.
"The anger has turned into trauma, as we're seeing the lack of confidence in this industry, the investment and prices going through the floor," he said.
"There's farmers just in tears out there about what this government has done."
Mr Littleproud called on the government to visit WA to explain the science and economics behind the ban.
"The reason they haven't is because there isn't any. We've got this right. Western Australians do it better than anyone else in the world," he said.
He also said while WA Premier Roger Cook "talks a big game" in defending the industry, he "should go and spend some political capital and educate some east coast politicians."
Then agriculture minister Joe Ludwig issued a snap, blanket ban on Australia's live cattle exports to Indonesia for six months in June 2011 after footage emerged of Australian cattle being slaughtered inhumanely in Indonesian abattoirs.
Labor issued its edict to ban live sheep by sea after footage emerged showing that around 2000 sheep had died onboard the Awassi Express while in transit from Fremantle to the Middle East in 2017.
However, like the live cattle trade 13 years ago, a number of regulatory measures and enhanced animal welfare standards have helped the industry clean up its image.
Meanwhile, the ban comes as the industry is reopening, creating or expanding some markets.
The Greens have demanded Labor legislate an end date for the phase-out of live sheep exports by sea, saying the government has "dragged its feet" long enough.
In a Bill introduced into the Senate in late February, the Greens nominated May 1, 2026 as D-Day believing that was "sufficient time for market adaptation and a reasonable phase-out."
The end date mirrors what the Australian Alliance for Animals recommended in its submission to the Panel.
