ON FARM SHEEP GENETICS h Genetics to ‘meat’ the future Working out what future customers will want, and then how to produce it while being profitable on‑farm, provides producers with both an opportunity and a challenge. But the use of good genetics MERINOSELECT analyses could make the road ahead since the late 1990s. Leading Breeder conference presenter Jamie Heinrich, from Ella Matta White Suffolk and Poll Merino stud, at home on Kangaroo Island, SA. smoother, according to SA Jamie’s conference seedstock producer Jamie presentation focused on “Electronic ID, auto‑drafting “In terms of overcoming Heinrich, who spoke at the how to bring together equipment, farm food safety concerns, Sheep Genetics annual the dual business drivers management software, we need to protect our Leading Breeder conference of consumer trends and remote sensing, soil mapping traceability and integrity in March. on‑farm production. and virtual fencing are just systems and investigate The event marked the 30th some of the technologies new opportunities, such as anniversary of sheep genetic “In terms of consumer trends, that can improve our animal blockchain technology.” ■ evaluation in Australia. these vary from market to management, and therefore market,” he said. animal welfare,” he said. Jamie said the time had come Jamie Heinrich wen the seep industryhh “In the US and Australia, “We can also use our E: heinrich.jamie@ needed to have a product for example, we’re seeing breeding tools, including gmail.com and a production system the increasing animal welfare Australian Sheep Breeding concerns, the rise of ‘fake Values, to help phase out Turn to the middle of general public would accept. meat’, and a focus on the magazine to see mulesing and improve lamb Feedback’s Genetics “The vegan protests going on ‘sustainable’ production survival, while also improving recently have really brought and associated terms such production traits. special feature. that point to the fore,” he said.as pasture‑raised, free range, cruelty‑free, and Jamie and his parents, so on. We also have more Leading breeders descend on Dubbo Andrew and Tracie, operate health‑conscious consumers the Ella Matta White Suffolk A record 170 delegates attended the 2019 Leading and fewer people cooking. Breeder conference in Dubbo, NSW earlier this year. and Poll Merino stud at Parndana, on Kangaroo “In Asia and the Middle East, Themed ‘Breeding sheep for a future environment’, the Island, SA. the consumer priorities are conference attracted breeders and genetics service a little different, with a majorproviders from six Australian states and New Zealand. Ella Matta was Australia’s focus on food safety.” first registered White Suffolk The biennial conference is hosted by Sheep Genetics, stud – founded by Jamie’s Technology the key the sheep industry’s national genetic information grandfather in 1979 – and Jamie says technology offers and evaluation service, delivered as LAMBPLAN and the family has been using the potential to overcome MERINOSELECT. the LAMBPLAN and many challenges. SNAPSHOT:Jamie Heinrich, Parndana, Kangaroo Island, SAS Area: Enterprise: Livestock: Pasture: Soil: Rainfall: 880ha White Suffolk, 1,300 stud ewes across Kikuyu, Sandy loam 620mm Poll Merino and all three breeds, plus sub‑clover Maternal Composite 6,000 commercial and ryegrass seedstock business, Poll Merinos, with plus self‑replacing surplus commercial commercial Poll ewes mated to White Merino flock Suffolk rams 18