Growing producer pains of Labor's live sheep export ban

But it did reveal during a willing debate in the federal parliament - in cold comfort for an industry starved of information - on Monday that it will "be executed over several years."

The government is still to disclose however when the axe hanging over the industry will fall almost five months after receiving an independent report to advise on how best to handle the transition.

Meanwhile, opposition whip and retiring Liberal member for Grey Rowan Ramsey called on Labor to "urgently" explain what factual evidence or science its decision was based on and "immediately" release the panel's report to "allow proper discussion with stakeholders."

Mr Ramsey then tabled a report by the Coalition's Agriculture, Water and Environment Backbench Committee following meetings with WA and SA livestock earlier this month that repeated financial impact modelling by the North Eastern Wheatbelt Regional Organisation of Councils that the ban could cost its seven shires more than $128 million over the next 20 years.

The committee report also included quotes from several farmers, including Rick Twine who said this year was the first he had not mated his ewes.

Mr Ramsey said confidence in the sheep industry was at its lowest point in decades and farmers reported being "fearful" for its future and that of "family farms and businesses and their wider rural communities."

He also believed the government's plan was a "reckless and ideological decision" motivated by a desire to win inner city seats "where they are competing with the Australian Greens."

Meanwhile, several Labor MPs lined up to justify the ban on animal welfare grounds and claimed it is only a small part of the industry, a dying trade and that the government was hoping to increase local processing and overseas markets for frozen and chilled lamb to assist supply chain participants transition.

The party was also responding to public sentiment in referring to "many, many images on our tv of animal cruelty on those ships" over the past decade, according to Labor Member for Adelaide Steve Georganas.

He also said he had received more emails on the issue from constituents than any other.

Labor MP for Corangamite Libby Coker said for the people expressing concern to her about the trade "at markets, in cafes, on my morning walks", along with "countless phone calls and hundreds and hundreds of emails", the ban could not come soon enough.

She also said Agriculture Minister Murray Watt is working through the details of the report and "I know there has been much consultation with the agricultural sector."

"None of us want to see another crisis like what happened on the MV Bahijah," she said.

Despite this however, the Department of Agriculture said in a statement in early February that independent veterinarians had found "no significant animal health or welfare issues" on board the ship carrying 14,500 sheep and cattle that was returned to Australia due to Houthis rebel activity in the Red Sea.

Newcastle Labor MP Sharon Claydon said the plan would be "executed across several years."

On the other side of the aisle, however, Liberal MP for Barker Tony Pasin said the industry had done "every single thing this parliament has asked it to do" in recent years to improve credibility and earn a social license and had "turned itself inside out" to meet increasingly stringent export regulations.

"(Producers at the recent meetings) were proud of the industry, and their role in it, as an outstanding success and example to others, with onboard mortality rates falling to the point where they were often better than on farms," he said.

He also said the phase-out decision has "destroyed confidence in the sheep industry" and where there is an alternative to exit sheep and intensify cropping regimes "growers are doing so."

"As a result, local markets are overwhelmed and prices are at decadal lows, with 200 sheep not receiving a bid or an offer at the Katanning sales on the day the committee visited," he said.