A LEADING South Australian sheep meat seedstock and prime lamb producer has called on the whole of Australia's sheep industry to unite.
In an address titled "What Next?", Allan Piggott of Illoura White Suffolk stud at Moorlands in South Australia, called on the sheep industry organisations to form one sheep council while speaking of capturing the next innovations during last week's Sheep CRC Association's final conference in Dubbo.
"Currently we have two organisations, Sheep Producers Australia and Wool Producers Australia, plus other industry organisations representing sheep meat and wool," he said.
"The two industry groups have the same membership, talk to the same lawyers about the same outlook.
"So it makes a lot of sense if in March 2020 we can have a conference which, at its end, resolves to form one Sheep Industry Council on behalf of all sheep producers."
Mr Piggott said both the Sheep Producers and Wool Producers associations have a great opportunity to facilitate continued engagement of all the partners of Sheep CRC.
"They have been talking about having a conference in 12 months time to seek how to continue the collaboration for the legacy of the CRC," he said.
"These are very important questions all should be looking at over the next 12 months."
He said the CRC had set a mature culture of cooperation and collaboration.
"And it's important that continues. I think the key industry councils have an important role in this."
Illoura stud began performance recording in 1987 and utilised emerging technologies since the formation of Sheep CRC .
"As a producer I use innovations from CRC everyday," he said.
"Sheep ID tags and all the recordings and DNA, so there are no dramas now.
"Value-based marketing is such an important thing for us and the industry."
Chairman summarises
The value of impact delivered by the Sheep CRC genomics terminologies is estimated to be $121 million by 2029, according to the centre's chairman, Ian Wilton.
Making the closing address Mr Wilton said when the meat program, largely through improving eating quality, demand in lamb and increased ewe prices, the net present value on the impact was a healthy $317 million.
"I think that is a very significant return on investment from an input cost of $54.9 million," he said.
"Our third major program is ASKBILL. While the potential impact is very significant, it will go a long way to improve sheep industry problems like worms, flies, feed-budgeting and more.
"What is important is what happens to all these programs. The challenge is to ensure these products continue to be developed and delivered once we close our doors."
Mr Wilton said the $73 million invested by the Commonwealth CRC Program had transformed the Australian sheep industry.