Leading Western Australian sheep producers will travel to regional New South Wales this week as part of an agribusiness study tour focused on sheep management and new technology.
The delegation will be led by the Department of Agriculture and Food as part of its Sheep Industry Business Innovation project.
Department sheep industry leader Bruce Mullan said the amount of industry innovation, including agribusiness opportunities, both in WA and nationally, had grown considerably in recent times.
“The tour will provide participants with the opportunity to gain the latest knowledge in husbandry and technological innovation within the sheep industry,” Dr Mullan said.
The tour, which runs from August 10 to 17, will include the Australian Lamb Expo 2016 (Lambex) in Albury, and visiting leading producers in the Jerilderie and Wagga Wagga region regarding management practices and business innovations.
The group will visit the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation in Wagga Wagga to hear about the latest research into sheep and pasture production and management.
The delegates include participants from the recently formed on-farm technology pilot group, the 100%+ Club and AgConnectWA.
The on-farm technology pilot group was formed and supported by the department to encourage the adoption of a number of labour saving technologies through a process of on-farm testing, adaptation and evaluation of technologies such as electronic identification and remote monitoring devices.
The 100%+ Club represents producers from a range of sheep enterprises and locations who have achieved lamb marking of 100 per cent or more across their breeding flock.
“The participants’ knowledge and experience will be shared back to their local community via grower groups or industry presentations,” Dr Mullan said.
The department’s Sheep Industry and Business Innovation Project is made possible by the State Government’s Royalties for Regions program.
Department development officers Katherine Davies and John Paul Collins will lead the delegation and will also share knowledge from the trip, including through their relationships with grower groups throughout the regions.
Members will be tweeting while on tour using the hashtag #WASheepTour.
Media contacts: Jodie Thomson/Lisa Bertram, media liaison +61 (0)8 9368 3937