CEO of Wool Producers Australia, Jo Hall, said she is frustrated and angered at PETA’s claims presented in the letter released last Friday.
“My questions to PETA are - if farmers don’t destock, would you rather them let the stock starve to death?” Ms Hall said.
“And, with record prices in wool and good returns for sheep meat, do you really think that farmers want to de-stock?”
Ms Hall said PETA were not interested in logic.
“PETA don’t care about animal welfare. They are merely a self-promoting publicity machine.”
RELATED READING: Four way PETA got it wrong on drought crisis
“And if they were worried about farmers destocking, the best way they could assist would be to donate money towards feed to assist farmers in keeping their stock.”
Sheep and wool producer and former Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) board member Chick Olsson said PETA was nothing more than a fundraising organisation.
“It wants to exploit perceived cruelty in farming circles. That’s how it raises funds,” Mr Olsson said.
“They are happy to be inaccurate and disregard the facts. They want to perceive us (farmers) as being cruel.
“This is PETA raising funds for itself - they are a business.”
He said at no time have PETA, even though they have had countless invitations, come to help farmers improve welfare.
“The massive US$25 to US$50 million a year they raise at no point have they wanted to come across and be a part of actually helping sheep and improve their lives. Countless invitations have been offered by many woolgrowers,” he said.
“They are not about animal welfare at all.
“My advice to everyone that is outraged by this, think about donating to an animal welfare group that is more reasonable and wants to work with farmers like ‘Companionable Farming’.
“We, as sheep producers, have to work with moderate, sensible welfare groups.”