Job cut worry if live exports are stopped

Shutting down live sheep exports and moving to chilled meat processing would result in job losses, the head of Meat and Livestock Australia says.

Richard Norton said shutting down the under-fire live sheep export trade would lead many West Australian farmers to stop breeding the animals.

"Would there be more jobs in Australia if the live export industry closed down and it all went to chilled product for the Middle East? Sitting here today there'd be less jobs in Australia," Mr Norton told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday.

Under questioning from independent senator Tim Storer, who is in favour of ending live exports, Mr Norton said WA slaughterhouses lacked the capacity to create competition for farmers.

"At this moment it would have dramatic impact on the income of a farmer in Western Australia if the trade was closed," he said.

Advocates of ending live sheep exports have argued moving to more chilled meat processing could create jobs and make Australian agriculture more humane.