paleif, I didn't ignore your question, I just don't live here.

If I were a sheep producer, would I be clever to accept $20 instead of $60.

Value adding in Australia is a great idea, but so many of our manufacturing and processing industries have been taken off shore already, that it is unreasonable to expect meat could not follow suit.

All a processor in Australia has to do is offer $60 (sustainably) and the live export industry can become history. For a mere $100 million or so a year animal groups could easily assist by making up the difference in price for live sheep.

dickie, re lending a hand, yes it's too hard lets not try. At least we'll save the Aussie sheep. They're much more important than those african or asian ones. And stuff those camels too.

regards, [insert favorite animal liberation group name here]

"Make a lie big, make it simple, keep saying it and eventually they'll believe it." (Adolph Hitler)

Abject cruelty to animals in the Middle East continues whilst the Devil's Advocate for Livecorp and MLA fallaciously talks of industry welfare work in those countries but will not and cannot supply any official dates, regions of work, or figures. The Advocate's claim is therefore, false and invalid.

Regardless, the atrocities continue.

Rojo, It is not your place to instruct me on how best to utilise my endeavours towards animal welfare, however, perhaps you may consider that it is entirely rational for one to accept that charity first begins at home. For the present, I am in fact constantly lobbying Middle Eastern countries from an office chair. What is your contribution?

I regret that you have fallen for the Industry Advocate's argument about the difference in the domestic and export prices. What you fail to accept is the substantial net profits of this industry, a result of you and I propping them up with heavy subsidies.

Can you advise of any other industry which receives such generous subsidies and tax breaks?

This is the way of the apostles of tyranny - the "exclusive brethren." Meanness of spirit, self love and the contempt of other creatures which is impeding the social and moral progress of the West.

http://www.liveexport-indefensible.com/investigations/photos.php

. http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:sz0e41mclaMJ:sweetness-light.com/archive/the-eid-festival-around-the-world-graphic-photos+animal+torture+muslim+festivals&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=au&lr=lang_en

Adolph was quite correct Dickie, as we have seen on OLO. The anti
live sheep brigade simply repeat their mantras again and again,
many gullible people might be sucked in and donate.

For you, anyone who does not treat livestock like your pet poodle
seems to be defined as "cruel". Sorry, it ain't that simple. Clearly
you have no experience of even handling sheep. If one bowled
you over and broke your leg, you might learn something.

I on the other hand am in a unique position to be objective and look
at all sides of the arguments. Unlike you, I don't hate farmers,
I don't campaign against eating meat. I don't depend of live sheep
or even farming for my living. I have thirty years of experience
handling livestock, so have forgotten what you don't even yet know.
I also know how the prices received for livestock affects farm
budgets, people trying to send kids to school, trying to survive
in farming.

Fact is, live sheep ships are little more then floating feedlots.
Unless you advocate banning all feedlots, you have no good reason
to descriminate against ones that float.

Fact is, sheeps throats are slit in Australia every day. You think
its cruel. I would argue that its far less cruel that what we are
doing to people, torturing them to their last breath, in the name
of religion.

Making money out of death? When you die, the undertaker and flower
sellers will be licking their chops, salivating at your profitable
carcass.

Yabby's following post is of fortuitous timing.

"I also know how the prices received for livestock affects farm
budgets, people trying to send kids to school, trying to survive
in farming."

Poor things! Funny though, pastoralists in my region are extremely affluent!

Only late yesterday was I speaking to a pastoralist who expressed interest in buying my home as an investment.

The pastoralist, in conversation, advised they currently own properties in the region of South Perth and Cottesloe WA; a property in the best street in my city and other metropolitan property investments in trust for their children.

I am delighted to hear of success stories resulting from people's hard working endeavours.

It has been remiss of me over the years though not to enquire if the sheep, responsible for the good fortunes of this dynasty (who operate their property in one of Australia's most arid regions) are slaughtered here or overseas?

And so Lucifer's Advocate continues to fog this issue, playing on the heartstrings of those who are not familiar with the economics and duping those who do not reside near pastoral properties.

Only then would they bear witness to the thousands of sheep crammed to capacity in trucks, which must travel in extreme heat over eight hundred kilometres to wharves before these exhausted critters are deployed to our ships of shame and to a repetoire of torture.

Wink wink, Yabby. And who is fooling whom? I am the fourth generation to have lived in this pastoral area, so off you go now and peddle your propaganda elsewhere.

http://www.liveexport-indefensible.com/investigations/photos.php

. http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:sz0e41mclaMJ:sweetness-light.com/archive/the-eid-festival-around-the-world-graphic-photos+animal+torture+muslim+festivals&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=au&lr=lang_en

Well Dickie, firstly I remind you that alot of pastoralists nearly
went broke farming merinos and have converted to damaras or cattle.

Lots of pastoralists are in the middle of the booming mineral
areas and have made far more money from all that information,
playing the stock market, then farming ever made them.

Most sheep farmers are in fact in the SW. You are free to research
their average incomes and profits from sheep farming. Without
grain income, many would have shut their doors long ago.
Thats exactly why so many farmers have left the industry.

You obviously know so little about this industry, that you don't
even know where the sheep that surround you, are slaughtered!
Admit it Dickie, you don't have the foggiest about the sheep
industry, neither about sheep.