AUSTRALIAN WOOL INDUSTRY INSETTING PROGRAM
The Australian Wool Industry Insetting Program is a new initiative designed to connect woolgrowers with global fashion and textile brands looking to reduce their supply chain emissions.
Part of AWI’s new Woolmark+ roadmap, this program will support woolgrowers to secure funding from brands to implement emissions reduction and removal activities on their farms, such as best practice flock management or environmental plantings.
The project aims to break down significant barriers woolgrowers face when engaging in environmental markets and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including the lack of guidance on best practices, upfront capital, and market engagement.
GET INVOLVED
Application criteria is currently being developed. Interested woolgrowers are invited to contact us at woolmarkplus@wool.com for more information.
AUSTRALIAN MERINO SIRE EVALUATION
Eight sure committees collaborate to join sires with a line of commercial ewes, evaluating their progeny up to two years of age.
What's Involved?
- Enter a sire and ideally join a site breeder committee.
- AI rams are assessed and benchmarked based on their progeny’s performance across a broad range of visual and objective measures up to 2 years of age.
Why Participate?
- Gain insights into running sire evaluations an independently and publicly assess sires in a specific environment.
- Evaluate sires for within-flock and across-flock breeding values.
- Increase connections with MERINOSELECT and the Merino Genomic Reference Flock.
Requirements for Participation
- Be a ram breeder.
- Located in NSW, SA, Vic or WA.
Contact for Further Information
Ben Swain, BCS Agribusiness
0427 100 542
ben.swain@bcsagribusiness.com.au
AWI FLYSTRIKE GENOMICS REFERENCE FLOCK
This project aims to collect and analyse DNA and on-farm breech and body flystrike data to develop genomically enhanced Breech and Body Flystrike ASBV’s.
What's involved?
- Collect breech and body flystrike data and genotype animals from now until June 2026
Why participate?
- Gain access to Flystrike Resistance Breeding Values before their official release.
- Receive a 100% rebate on the cost of genotyping flystruck sheep and data collection (funding allocated competitively)
Requirements for participation
- Be a ram breeder who currently records or plans to record flystrike occurrences and genotype a portion of each drop.
Contact for Further Information
Ben Swain, BCS Agribusiness
0427 100 542
ben.swain@bcsagribusiness.com.au
GENETICS OF FOOT HEALTH
This project aims to develop research breeding values and eventually an Australian Sheep Breeding Value (ASBV) for resistance to footrot.
What's involved?
You have several participation options:
- Provide a ram for semen collection for the central progeny test. Offspring will be evaluated for desirable foot traits and footrot resistance.
- Supply eight cull rams per sire to test for Ovine Interdigital Dermatitis (OID) and footrot resistance.
- Monitor offspring born in 2023, 2024 and 2025 for OID or foot abscesses between 100 and 300 days of age.
Why participate?
- Get early access to the footrot resistance Research Breeding Value for benchmarking and selection before the ASBV release
- Obtain early data on foot traits and their correlation with production data.
Requirements for participation
- Be a ram breeder
- Provide semen and deliver it free of charge.
- Pay an entrance fee.
- Cover transport costs to the research site.
Contact for further information
Amy Lockwood, neXtgen Agri
amy@nextgenagri.com
Jarryd Krog, Murdoch University
jarryd.krog@murdoch.edu.au
SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING STRATEGIES FOR LAMB SURVIVAL
This AWI/MLA funded project aims to develop best practice recommendations for supplementary feeding ewes during lambing.
What's involved?
- Participate in an on-farm research trial to investigate how different supplementary feeding methods impact lamb survival.
Why participate?
- Gain property-specific insights to boost productivity.
- Improve lamb survival rates with tailored recommendations.
Requirements for participation
- 300+ single-bearing and 160+ multiple-bearing ewes.
- Access to a self-feeder.
- Commitment to supplementary feeding during lambing.
- Located in NSW, SA, Vic or WA.
Contact for further information
Serina Hancock, Murdoch University
0403 570 823
s.hancock@murdoch.edu.au
