A BOOK chronicling Australia's sheep industry from the fallout of the reserve price scheme of the 1990s to a whole new industry approach will soon be released by John Keniry.
The former Sheep CRC chairman has captured the past and advances including happy memories, some honest mistakes and plenty of heavy science in his book, Sheep CRC: The Story - Transforming wool, meat and the sheep that produce them 2000-2019.
His announcement at the CRC's final conference was welcomed by attendees, each of whom will be the first to receive a copy post-publication.
Mr Keniry said after the reserve price scheme a new "whole of industry" approach was needed that featured an ambition to manage sheep as individual animals.
"It has been a very exciting two decades of innovation and change for the Australian sheep industry, and this book will prove to be a seminal record of significant and lasting progress for the industry," he said.
He praised Sheep CRC chief executive officer James Rowe, who guided the organisation through three interactions across the 19 year CRC existence.
"CRC funding in long-term tranches has allowed ambitious research directions to be set and delivered with stable multidisciplinary teams of eminent scientists and senior management personnel including Professor James Rowe who has been tireless in driving the work and the vision for almost the duration of the program."