Meeting informs farmers

More than 100 farmers and community members gathered at the Harvey Recreation and Cultural Centre on Thursday night for the Calm the Farm animal activists information night.

Those who attended heard from industry advisers, legal experts and the police as to how best deal with the escalating actions of extremist vegan activists.

WA Farmers dairy section president Michael Partridge said the meeting was more than worth the effort and people left better informed.

“There was good information about how to keep ourselves on the right side of the law,” he said.

“Things like not giving them reactions, asking them to leave the property and if they don’t, just call the police.

“People are anxious...we just want to do our job, and these people are getting in our faces.”

The meeting came after a string of demonstrations and trespass incidents by animal activists, including a break-in at a Pinjarra piggery and drones being flown over Harvey Beef yards.

Two people were charged last week in relation to the piggery incident, an outcome that was welcomed by the farming industry.

“This action by authorities should give farmers confidence to go about their daily business without interruption,” WA Farmers president Tony York said.