Livestock research & development

To support the economic development of the livestock industries, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development undertakes a range of research and development activities in collaboration with producers, other research groups and industry.

Much of this research is undertaken on a co-funded basis supported by the relevant research and development corporations, Federal government or private industry. Where appropriate, this research is undertaken on farm or, in the case of more basic research, undertaken at one of the department's research stations: 

  • Great Southern Agriculture Research Institute, Katanning (sheep)
  • Mount Barker Research Station (sheep)
  • Medina Research Station (pigs and sheep)
  • Vasse Research Station (dairy).

Articles

  • FEED365 is a four-year project (2021–2025) under the SheepLinks program that engages sheep producers and allied industries to re-design livestock forage systems for grazing

  • In collaboration with the Moredun Research Institute (United Kingdom), the world’s first sheep worm vaccine has been produced at the Albany parasitology laboratories.

  • Objective Carcase Measurement (OCM) Feedback is a four-year (2022- 2025) project under the SheepLinks program, to assist WA producers with understanding carcase feedback, improving carcase quality,

  • FutureSheep is a three-year project (2021-2024) under the SheepLinks program, to assist Western Australian (WA) sheep enterprises in the medium and low rainfall zones adapt to the impacts of projec

  • The Genetic Resource Flock of Western Australia, previously called the Information Nucleus Flock, was established by the Sheep Cooperative Research Centre (Sheep CRC) in 2007 and is now funded by M

  • The SheepLinks Program is a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), to underpin the future prosperity

  • The Sheep Industry Business Innovation (SIBI) Scholarships program was an initiative designed to support and encourage individuals who wished to pursue further study by addressing key industry ques

  • This project is focused on finding indicator traits that could be used to select indirectly for resistance to breech strike in Merino sheep in winter rainfall regions.

  • The demand for high value agricultural produce continues to increase and provides great opportunity to Australian agriculture.

  • Sheep Updates was a leading event for the Western Australian sheepmeat and wool industries. A one day gala event was held in Perth every two years and regional updates were held in the alternate ye