On his comments on the recent Livestock export three-month ban on sheep trade to the Middle East, Geroge Assaf, the international live stock exporters, said that " the decision affects Australian exporters and farmers economically" calling Australia to play its role in global food security.
In this context, a spokesperson from the Department of Agriculture and Water told SBS Arabic 24 that "On average from 2013–2017 about a quarter of Australia’s live sheep exports to the Middle East have gone in June, July and August. The average value of live sheep exports to the Middle East during those three months was estimated at $52.3 million, however in 2017 it was $45.1 million".
He added " Industry has said this moratorium is about maintaining and growing a strong, viable nine-month-a-year live sheep trade".
He went on to say that "It is unclear at this stage what the economic impact will be, in the context of the industry’s greater focus on the remaining months and a number of changes to the live export industry".
