ON FARM SHEEP Measuring the impact Here we talk to three stakeholders who have worked alongside the Sheep CRC to deliver change for the Australian sheep industry about what they see as the long-lasting benefits of the collaboration. Peter Trefort Sally Martin Stuart Mitchell Sheep CRC director Sheep CRC research collaborator Sheep CRC director WA lamb industry innovator and former Sally Martin has been involved with the Queensland sheep producer Stuart MLA Director Peter Trefort has been a Sheep CRC since its early days, first Mitchell has been associated with the Sheep CRC director for the past nine as a sheep and wool officer with NSW Sheep CRC since its inception, first as years, but his involvement with the CRC Department of Primary Industries, and a research collaborator and then, for dates back much further. later in her roles as a private consultant the past 12 years, as a non-executive and Chief Executive Officer of the board member. Q. How did you first get involved not-for-profit research group MerinoLink. with the Sheep CRC? Q. What do you consider the most It began after I helped set up the Q Q. What do you consider the valuable outcome from the Sheep CRC? Lamb producer alliance in the 1990s. most valuable outcome from the The Information Nucleus Flock (now Our first project with the CRC was Sheep CRC? known as the MLA Resource Flock) trialling electronic identification in There are a number of important has delivered more to industry than we an experimental feedlot on my farm, outcomes: the establishment of the imagined it could. On my own property using walk-over-weighing to monitor Information Nucleus Flock, enabling the genomic traits and enhanced growth rates. We were able to show the development of genomics and DNA Australian sheep breeding values our Q Lamb members that, by using parentage testing, led by Professor delivered by the Information Nucleus the right genetics, they could achieve Julius van der Werf at the University Flock have transformed our flock. In the growth rates of well over 500g per of New England, and the meat eating mid-2000s we had a typical south-west day, compared to the 275–320g quality work led by Professor Dave Queensland flock, mainly 21 micron, they were achieving by using any old Pethick at Murdoch University. quite wrinkly sheep. That was before crossbred ram. With the help of the Genomic predictions mean producers we made a conscious decision to stop CRC, we put a hook-tracking system in can now select for hard-to-measure mulesing. It took just six or seven years our abattoir and were able to provide traits and we can select animals at a of strategic genetic selection and we had individual lamb carcase weights back to younger age, speeding up the rate of a plain-bodied flock. We haven’t lost any producers on their kill sheets. We also genetic gain. The Information Nucleus size and we reduced our micron down did experiments showing how on-farm Flock data has also helped to improve to around 19 – and I can’t remember the nutrition and in-plant processing the accuracy of sheep-breeding values last time we had a fly-blown sheep. practices affect carcase quality. along with good quality data. In terms of Q. Where would you like to see sheep Q. Where would you like to see sheep the eating quality work, I see its value industry research head now? industry research head now? as both ensuring customer satisfaction The amount of information generated by The Sheep CRC has had participants and allowing producers, in the future, to research programs has been immense, from every section of the industry be paid for quality as well as quantity. but in some ways industry hasn’t kept working together to achieve the same Q. Where would you like to see sheep pace in its ability to use this knowledge. result, even if they are competitors in industry research head now? The Sheep CRC has tried to overcome the market. We were able to combine We need to continue to think outside this by focusing on digital tools to help skills and share resources, and I’d the square and look at what other producers access knowledge and profit hate to lose that now. I’m hopeful industries are doing. We also need to from it – ASKBILL and RamSelect are there are enough people around who continue to have a commercial focus great examples. More work needs to will work together to maintain these and ensure that, if we do research, it be done in integrating information from valuable relationships. doesn’t end up on a shelf. multiple sources. ■ Peter Trefort Sally Martin Stuart Mitchell E: pjtrefort@westnet.com.au E: sallymartin777@gmail.com E: smitchell@bigpond.com 23