Improving the viability of lamb and wool enterprises in the central west of NSW will be the focus of a one-day forum to be held at Borenore, west of Orange, on Thursday 8 August.

 

The Agribusiness Today forum, ‘Challenging Lamb, Sheep and Wool Profitability’, will bring together leading experts from across Australia and provide producers with the latest information from around the world. It will be conducted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Regional Development Australia Central West, and supported by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

 

Dr Karl Behrendt, lecturer in agribusiness at CSU's School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences , said for the first time Australia exports more lamb than it consumes, and so producers must be aware of current demand trends, both domestically and internationally.

 

“I’ve just returned from an international conference in the United Kingdom on sheep and cattle and I’ve discovered interesting information on how our sheep industry is performing on the world stage, which I’ll provide to local producers,” Dr Behrendt said.

 

“We’ll also hear from the head of the Sheep Meats Council about his trip to the Middle East examining the live sheep trade and demand for meat products. Meat and Livestock Australia will provide both a global and domestic picture of market demands.”

 

The forum will also focus on wool production and feedback from the fashion industry as well as practical information on managing parasites and pastures.

 

“We’ve tried to make the day an all-round experience for producers,” Dr Behrendt said.

 

“Australian Wool Innovation will provide forecasts on wool demand and hopefully improved prices for the ‘golden fleece’, and we’re also bringing the latest information from the world’s fashion catwalks on demand trends from Europe, China and the United States.

 

“As we will be at a rural venue, we will also provide time for a pasture walk to see first-hand the application of lice treatment on sheep in order to get the best control of this parasite, and discuss the use of injectable trace minerals to improve the fertility and health of the flock.

 

“It’s a day not to be missed by any serious sheep producer, as we’ll attempt to give producers the information to improve the profitability of this great industry.”

 

The Challenging Lamb, Sheep and Wool Profitability forum will be held at the Australian National Field Days site at Borenore, 15 kilometres west of Orange, on Thursday 8 August. Download the forum program to register at www.rdacentralwest.org.au.