World Merino Insight, Adelaide, Sep 4-9, 2016

Transcription

1 World Merino Insight, Adelaide, Sep 4-9, 2016 This event was the interim answer to more contact with World Merino members. Rob Ashby, the former WM President was passionate about bringing us together more often than once every 4 years. He enjoyed one of our NZ merino tours so much that he and his committee felt it was the answer more sheep, less conference time he told me! Tom Ashby, the current President embraced the face-to-face theme throughout the week. The hospitality, the venue and especially the camraderie were all perfect casual and relaxed and Adelaide is a very easy city to enjoy. All helped by SA having the best spring in years and with sheep prices booming. Registrants came from South Africa, United States, Uruguay, Argentina, China, Lesotho, NZ and Russia. An interesting little sideline Tom Ashby became an expert on Adelaide Airport shopping after waiting long hours particularly for the 12 delegates from Russia...when a Russian shepherd moves he takes his meat with him...even to Australia!! Needless to say they all arrived with a very good long suffering young interpreter minus their meat... Murray Bridge, an hour south, was the venue for the Merino Innovation Day and the Classings Classic Ram Sale. With 37 trades with either stud or scientific exhibits it was quite a display under 2 large marquees in 25 degrees! Breeders had come from far and wide with sheep for this and for the Adelaide Show and Sale later in the week. An excellent day with a very varied sale both in quality of lineup and prices view catalogue on (See sale results separate pdf file) Tuesday 5 th was the Conference day at the Hilton Adelaide with 12 speakers closing with an International Panel. John Daniell of White River studs and

2 Katelyn Boughen of Kamora Park gave a superb history of the South Australian Merino- a copy of this speech will be online soon hopefully. Then David McKay of Thomas Foods International outlined their vision for the future of lamb and mutton they sponsored the Innovation Day and took several groups through their very innovative killing/processing facility at Murray Bridge. Peter found this visit inspiring. The whole company is entirely owned by one family the present CEO is the grandson of the founder. TFI has a 20% share of the Australian meat processing industry, relies heavily on overseas labour especially Filipinos and is not afraid to upload new technology. Particularly impressive was the steaming of every knife cut made on the carcass and also the size sorting of lamb shanks on the conveyor to meet added value market requirements. Dr Marina Selionova from the Russian Research Institute of Sheep gave a very detailed presentation on their scientific progress with the merino. Link Then followed 2 speakers we all know well...stuart Hodgson, former sheepclasser and current AWI board member with his take on the Practical Merino for AWI s marketing perspective closely followed by NZ s Richard Loe entertaining Rugby to sheep - woolly footballs along with some standout shots of farming in snow up the Waimakariri Gorge. Georgina Wallace, AASMBA President, talked on the Australian Merino going forward and eluded to the launch later in the week of their new initiative for the Merino stud industry Breed More Merino Ewes Rabobank s Commodity Analyst Georgia Twomey predicted the Influence the Asian Economy would have on Wool and Meat Trends (check for her latest media releases). And then Matthew Coddington gave a very detailed insight into the Roseville Park method of raising and evaluating their merinos benchmarking using merinoselect and altering stocking rates and feeding regimes for enhanced outcomes. Sam Gill of Meat and Livestock Australia followed with the Next Generation of Technology for the Merino Industry. The International Panel of Juan Manual Gonzalez (Uruguay), Pedro Miguel Schmalz (Argentina), Francois van der Merwe (Sth Africa) and yours truly spoke on The Merino in each country and took a variety of questions before Peter Meyer (WMI Chairman) closed a very well supported day full of useful facts and devoid of puffery n politics!

3 Adelaide Show welcomed us into it s 9 day stint with tickets and hosted meals amongst the half million people that attend (29% of the SA population). It was established in 1839 and now has over 33,000 entries with 17,000 ribbons awarded annually and toasts agriculture superbly. One of the standout displays was the School s Competition with over 50 large teams (schools) involved in each of the steers, wethers and Boer goat classes a technicolour grand parade of monumental proportions. The Merino Section was excellent both in shed facilities (all on grating) and management a few good hints picked up along the way! Ribbons are awarded (no cards) throughout and even the water containers were supplied. Ram selling on the final day drew large crowds and some spectacular results one stud, Moorundie South sold 3 rams to gross $97k! Collinsville sold one to Pedro from Argentina for $33k and the top price was $40,000 bought by Barry & Val Smith of Glenville Stud, Eyre Peninsula. Their own ram sale this season had averaged $3,000 over a greater yarding than ever before. This boom or bust mentality is full on in the Aussie sheepworld at present we heard of crossbred ewe hoggets with lamb at foot (100%) selling in NSW for $326 that week!! An interesting media site is The next World Merino Conference will be in Uruguay April 7-14, Some of us have already asked Chris Bowman if he will consider leading a tour through Patagonia/Argentina to Uruguay he has great contacts in the south Americas! New Zealand has been asked if we will consider another interim event 2 years on in 2020 and personally I feel the Tour idea with a minimal conference is the strategy we all enjoy casual, cheaper to organise and with much greater appeal. As more results and speech detail comes online I will post the linkages to regional secretaries. I am indebted to Paul Ensor, Sally Smith and Simon Paterson for their photos in particular along with IT help from Mark Ferguson and the NZMerino team in painting a healthy picture of the Merino in NZ more than one breeder told me their wool was being bought by New Zealand! Helen Heddell helenheddell@xtra.co.nz

4 Terrick West $11000 Tim Dalla of Collinsville with Chris Bowman and Pedro Schmalz of Argentina $33000

5 Merino high fashion form AWI and TAFE students Roger Polkinghorne of Charinga relaxing with his Kelpie pup display!