![Brookton sheep farmer Murray Hall. Brookton sheep farmer Murray Hall.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/33nFNZ38FxtadDLYqv8sNRP/a3384cb6-b3e8-4e88-ad6d-3f15abaaba46.JPG/r0_493_6000_3880_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
BROOKTON sheep farmer Murray Hall "sits on the fence" when it comes to Labor's pledge to end live export.
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Mr Hall, who owns Hillroy farm, recognised the industry had been under scrutiny in the past.
However, he said it had come a long way to right a wrong through new regulations and protocols.
"If the industry can prove its own standing and has oversight it could survive," Mr Hall said.
"I think it must continue to work within regulation to keep the trade in order."
In his own operation, Mr Hall has adapted to trade tightening and northern hemisphere bans through his breeding program.
He said such regulations were relevant and real, so it was important to work within them.
"I am not about having live export point blank just for the sake of it.
"It needs to be within ethical standards and fair-minded.
"But at the same time we should do better than vote catching and being simplistic about it."
Mr Hall highlighted the importance of government officials consulting rural communities - down to grassroots - before making such decisions.
And instead of making assumptions on how certain industries worked, he said it was important a full objective case was put forward first.
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"I invite anyone in government to come here, see the reasons and then adjudicate after," Mr Hall said.
"I mean right down to articulate grassroots people - not the yellers and shouters at rallies.
"Bring some science, bring some professionals, put all the information together and then have a discussion - that's all I am asking."
Mr Hall is no stranger to onfarm visits having hosted Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and the Federal Department of Agriculture in the past.
The most recent was in February, when the department provided insight into why they tightened conditions of live export in different ports.
At the same time, Mr Hall gave representatives a better understanding of logistics and reasons behind issues on shearing, pre-export conditioning of animals and timeframes, as well as the essential need for the sheep trade to exist.
He also discussed the importance of live export, particularly during unfavourable seasons or in situations where sheep producers may not to quickly destock.
"Let's say we get rain next week and we don't get any rain in June," Mr Hall said.
"Suddenly we need to destock dry sheep - live export is where these classes end up going.
"Even now we can't get space in the abattoirs for the lambs we are killing."
Mr Hall said if the live export market wasn't there, farmers may be forced to leave lambs in paddocks for longer.
He said this would potentially result in the consumption of more feed, the loss of valuable cropping space and putting extra stress on lambing ewes.