Sheep

119th Wagin Show and 50th Woolarama, 10-11 March 2023

NSW Farmers is calling for a substantial investment from the state and federal governments to make their traceability reform achievable. A move to electronic identification (eID) for sheep and goats will far exceed the $20 million offered by the federal government, and with a timeline set for mandatory tagging, farmers are in the dark on what financial support will be made available.

The Australian Beef industry and cattle herd are well positioned to capitalise on changing global supply dynamics in 2023. This year will be a year of transition and maturity for Australia’s cattle herd, with any increases in numbers now beyond rebuild status, with all key production metrics forecast to improve this year, according to the latest Cattle Industry projections update from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).

Barellan annual First Cross Ewe sale was held last Friday with agents Mark Flagg Livestock & Property Pty Ltd of Barellan announcing the results. Best extra heavyweight ewe lambs sold to firm rates on recent sales with most lines $20 - $30 cheaper than a recent noted first cross ewe sale.

A committee charged with assessing the benefits, risks and costs of implementing eID tags for sheep and goats in SA has survived a tied 10-10 vote of no confidence. A call for its removal came after a two-hour debate where farmers spoke for and against mandatory eID tags in sheep and goats.

If a truck load of vendor-bred sheep go direct from a farm to an abattoir, should producers pay for the time, effort and cost of each animal having a $2.50 electronic identification (eID) ear tag ... Current figures suggest around $30 million will be ripped out of rural communities and their service towns by the scheme.

Darkan Sheepfest

International markets for wool and cotton have seen much volatility through the course of 2022 – with the lingering impacts of Covid and escalated geopolitical and economic uncertainty affecting the trade – and the year ahead could be equally turbulent, agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank says in a new industry podcast.

The NSW Government has released its plan to roll out electronic identification (eID) for the State’s $1.5 billion farmed sheep and goat industries. Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said the plan has been developed hand-in-hand with industry, ensuring a timeline that works for each sector.

Sheep farmer Suzanne Lewis has just published her first children’s book and had no further to look for something to write about than her own front paddock. “Queenie the Quad Lady” is the story of a remarkable ewe that captured Suzanne’s heart after giving birth to four lambs and successfully raising them all despite all the trials and tribulations a sheep can face.

Jamie-Lee Oldfield. An improved clearance and record high average proved prime lamb producers were keen to put Janmac genetics into their flocks. The Hausler family of Janmac Poll Dorsets and White Suffolks held their 18th annual on-property sale at Goroke, Victoria, on Wednesday, selling rams to a top of $7000.

The fifth Bishop of the Diocese of the Murray, the Right Rev Keith Dalby is coming to St Paul’s Naracoorte on 30 October 2022 for the Blessing of the Fleece. “Shearing sheep is something quintessentially Australian”, he said “and it is a great honour to be blessing this act”.

Shadow Minister for Northern Australia, Senator Susan McDonald has warned the Federal Government to cut the “bull” and not the national cattle herd ahead of signing up to an international methane reduction agreement ... Senator McDonald warned that any move against cattle and sheep herds would be met with fierce resistance, especially from Northern Australia’s $1.35 billion live cattle export sector which supplies much-needed beef to South East Asian countries ... Senator McDonald said attacks on methane emissions ignored the contributions made by herbivorous and ruminant feral animals.

Kristin Murdock. A new approach to managing shearing teams is paying dividends in the Mid North of the state and helping address the skills shortage which is being felt by the entire livestock industry. When Sarah-Jane Abley’s shearing team steps onto the boards of shearing sheds around South Australia, out goes any hierarchy and instead the team just gets to work.

The Moulamein sheep dog trials has returned showcasing the incredible bond of human and working dog. Barry McKenzie, Moulamein Working Dog Club president, had four dogs – two mature dogs and two pups – in the competition and was delighted to have the competition running again.

Brett Shepherd. After two years off from showing we went to Adelaide Royal this year with no expectations - just wanting to compare our sheep with fellow breeders and catch up after such a long enforced break. So it was with great excitement and pride when our Poll Dorset ram 21-616 (sired by our own Mullinger Park 17-348) was judged the Champion ram.

Located in the Central West of New South Wales, Tullinga White Dorpers was established in 2005.

World leading augmented reality (AR) technology developed in South Australia is being used to assist producers to recognise emergency animal diseases, such as foot and mouth disease in sheep ... The tool generates a flock of augmented reality sheep, providing an opportunity for the user to identify the sick animal by looking for signs and symptoms of exotic EAD diseases.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released the official livestock and production figures for the second quarter of 2022. The data also provided insights on slaughter, production, value and carcase weight for sheep and cattle for the 2022 financial year.

Australia's beef and sheepmeat sectors can expect continuing demand from China despite its slowing economy and continued lockdowns impacting how the country consumes animal proteins. Speaking on a newly-released podcast, Is the Chinese meat market still firing?, Rabobank's Hong Kong-based senior animal protein analyst Chenjun Pan said China's lockdown policies have affected the population's protein consumption habits, with the major short-term change being where people are consuming food.

WAFarmers Livestock Council advises members of an update in policy on the implementation of EID tags for sheep and goats. The council has a standing policy to support EID tags for traceability in sheep and goats based on government funding to assist in the implementation of a national database to manage a national standardised process.