Australian farmers protest animal, environment policies they say harm them

By Peter Hobson

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Hundreds of farmers from across Australia held a protest on Tuesday against government farming policies they said were influenced by environmental and animal welfare activists and which were harming their livelihoods.

Australia is one of the world's biggest agricultural exporters and farmers nationwide are increasingly angry with the centre-left Labor government that has sought to ban exports of live sheep, restrict water use and accelerate construction of renewable power and transmission in rural areas.

"We deserve to be respected," National Farmers' Federation (NFF) President David Jochinke told a crowd on the lawn in front of Australia's federal parliament in Canberra.

"There are alternative voices that are united against us. We don't think they are the ones that should be setting the policy," he said. "We feel like we are getting stiffed."

The government did not send a representative to the rally. Agriculture minister Julie Collins told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) the government was committed to listening and had helped farmers by expanding overseas market access and investing in biosecurity.

The NFF said more than 2,000 people attended what was its first nationwide rally of farmers in the capital since the 1980s.

The protest is part of a wave of unrest in Europe and elsewhere aimed at governments imposing environmental regulation that farmers say burdens them with red tape and higher costs, as well as limiting their ability to farm.

"Our message is clear: talk to us," Jochinke said.

Federal elections are due in Australia by May next year and farm lobby leaders say they will try to eject Labor by raising money and targeting marginal seats.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton told the rally he would reverse a ban on live sheep exports and the opposition agriculture spokesman said he was against water restrictions.

"We have your backs," Dutton said.

Australian farmers have seen several years of bumper production thanks to plentiful rain, but pessimism is rife.

"Under this government there's no future for agriculture in Australia," said Will Croker, a 32-year-old livestock farmer from New South Wales. "It's not right."

(Reporting by Peter Hobson; editing by Miral Fahmy)