Farmers are facing a considerable cost to keep sheep alive, after another live exporter had its license suspended.

Emanuel Exports’ sister company EMS Rural had applied for a permit to send thousands of sheep to the Middle East.

But EMS Rural has now joined Emanuel, and has been been banned from completing the Summer trade.

Several government investigations into the live exports industry remain on going, after vision emerged of sheep dying from heat stress in poor conditions on a shipment last year

During the northern summer upwards of 100,000 sheep are exported from Australia each month.

Now with Emanuel Exports and EMS Rural both suspended from trade, and Livestock Shipping Services redirecting ships from Australia to South America – thousands of sheep are on farm, with no where to go, and farmers facing big feed costs to keep them.

Rural reporter Eddie Summerfield caught up with Sheep Producers Australia President Allan Piggott.

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