Live sheep exports "crucial to economy" | Business Breaking News | News.com.au

A new report commissioned by the World Society for the Protection of Animals found a sheep slaughtered and processed locally was worth 20 per cent more than those shipped out of the country.

It said that for every $100 of output created in Western Australia through live exports, the state's bottom line was bolstered by $81.

But the figure jumped to $101.50 if the animal was processed locally, according to the report's author, consultancy firm ACIL Tasman.

MLA live exports manager Michael Finucan said most of Australia's live sheep exports were bound for the Middle East, which required chilled, frozen and live product.

"Australia is able to supply all of those categories and there's value in all of those categories," he told AAP today.

If Australia curtailed its supply of live sheep exports, business would simply go elsewhere.

"All it would be doing is giving a segment of the market away to another competitor," Mr Finucan said, adding there was no guarantee processed meat exports would increase sufficiently to cover the loss of revenue from decreasing live exports.

"There may be more value in (processed meat) but you can't get that value unless they purchase it," he said.