WAFarmers, PGA support livex research

Western Australia’s two main agricultural lobby groups have joined forces to support research relevant to the farmers of the State.

WAFarmers and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA (PGA) are together providing assistance to University of Western Australia student Georgia Reid’s Honours project, which will investigate the impact media coverage of live export has on farming families in Western Australia, and whether the reputation of farming has been affected by such coverage.

Ms Reid aims to fill a gap in scientific knowledge and provide a platform for further research into the WA farming community.

“Very little research has been done regarding the social impact of live export or media coverage, nor into the beliefs of farmers – this does not reflect the importance of the sector to the community,” Ms Reid said.

WAFarmers President Dale Park said he had long held concerns about the impact of the portrayal of live export in the media on the lives and psyches of farmers and their families.

“A lot of the rhetoric regarding live export ignores facts in favour of emotional arguments – we are supporting Ms Reid to help her investigate the impact this has on our industry,” Mr Park said.

PGA President Tony Seabrook said it was important to understand the social impacts of coverage surrounding live export.

“We hope Ms Reid’s research will inform our actions going forward so we can better help those on the land who are impacted by coverage of the issue,” he said.

Ms Reid said she was extremely grateful for the generous support of both WAFarmers and PGA, which will allow her to conduct interviews across the State.

Ends.

All media requests must be directed to WAFarmers Marketing and Communications Officer Leslee Hall on (08) 9486 2100 or [email protected].

Tony, Georgia, Dale 1

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