campaign for wool - The Woolmark Company
Transcription
campaign for wool - The Woolmark Company
www.wool.com Profit from wool innovation Issue 53 DECEMBER 2012 CAMPAIGN FOR WOOL MARKETING AUSTRALIAN WOOL PREVENTING BREECH STRIKE UPGRADING SHEARING SHEDS 2 upfront December 2012 Beyond the Bale Biggest WoolPoll turnout maintains two per cent levy contents off-farm 04 Visit by The Prince of Wales 06 UK Wool Week 08 International Wool Week 10 Vogue’s sheep station photoshoot 11 Runway 101 Kit 12 Wool lauded by fashion designers 14 Milano Unica on stage 15 Zegna: a passion for wool 16 Educating textile graduates 18 From Flinders fibre to fashion 20 Backing for work in Hong Kong 21 Marie Claire promotes Merino 22 Alaska to Patagonia with Merino on-farm 24 EverGraze: establishing saltbush 25 New WormBoss website 26 Climate variability 28 AWI 2013 Nuffield scholar 29 Baiting helps wild dog control 31 Shearing competition support 32 Shed upgrade a ‘shear delight’ 34 New shed developed from scratch 36 Sheep handling innovations 38 Merino Superior Sires 18 released 38 Tail length literature review 39 Sheep Genetics website revamped 40 Fight against breech strike I n the biggest WoolPoll turnout so far, Australian woolgrowers have voted to maintain the two per cent levy. Announcing the results at the company’s Annual General Meeting, AWI CEO Stuart McCullough thanked woolgrowers for getting behind the poll, and reaffirmed AWI’s commitment to delivering outcomes for them. “Our commitment to growers has never been stronger,” Mr McCullough said. “We know we have more work to do, and this result gives AWI the opportunity to review how we can continue to make improvements to benefit growers. “Our focus now is to get on with business. We will continue to talk with growers and other stakeholders and to invest in projects that will help AWI deliver on the strategic intent of the company, that is to build demand for Australian wool, while supporting the profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of the industry.” A record total of 60.94 per cent of eligible votes were returned by 41.72 per cent of voters as part of the triennial vote. Mr McCullough confirmed the two per cent vote was successful, with 60.34 per cent of votes nationally supporting a levy of two per cent or more. “There are a number of important trends that we must address and consider for the future. It is interesting to note support for the 0 per cent option reduced considerably.” On behalf of the Board, Mr McCullough acknowledged the efforts of the independent WoolPoll 2012 Panel, and in particular Will Roberts who chaired the Panel. AWI and the Panel acknowledged the contribution of Rod Thirkell-Johnston who sadly passed away earlier this year. WoolPoll follows strict guidelines set out in the WoolPoll Regulations as an independent, democratic process. As in previous Polls, eligible levy payers were invited to select their preferred levy option from 0, 1, 2, 2.5 and 3 per cent. More information: www.woolpoll.com.au WoolPoll results 3% levy 2.5% levy 2% levy 1% levy 0% levy Total 2% and above Total under 2% 2.65% 4.30% 53.39% 29.18% 10.47% 60.34% 39.65% 43 Readers’ photos! Executive Editor: Richard Smith, [email protected], AWI Marketing and Communications. Find Woolmark on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woolmark Beyond the Bale is published by Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI), a company funded by Australian woolgrowers and the Australian Government. AWI’s goal is to help increase the demand for wool by actively selling Merino wool and its attributes through investments in marketing, innovation and R&D – from farm to fashion. awi investment strategies 1. Wool industry R&D – On-farm 2. Wool industry R&D – Off-Farm 3. Marketing Australian wool 4. International Sales Network/Woolmark 5. International trade and market access Beyond the Bale is online at http://digital.wool.com.au AWI, Level 30, 580 George St, Sydney NSW 2000 AWI, GPO Box 4177, Sydney NSW 2001 P 02 8295 3100 F 02 8295 4100 E [email protected] W www.wool.com AWI Helpline, 1800 070 099 Subscription: Beyond the Bale is available free. To subscribe contact AWI P 02 8295 3100 E [email protected] Copyright: Material in Beyond the Bale is copyright. Reproduction of the material is encouraged. However prior permission must be obtained from the Executive Editor. Disclaimer: Whilst Australian Wool Innovation Limited and its employees, officers and contractors and any contributor to this material (“us” or “we”) have used reasonable efforts to ensure that the information contained in this material is correct and current at the time of its publication, it is your responsibility to confirm its accuracy, reliability, suitability, currency and completeness for use for your purposes. To the extent permitted by law, we exclude all conditions, warranties, guarantees, terms and obligations expressed, implied or imposed by law or otherwise relating to the information contained in this material or your use of it and will have no liability to you, however arising and under any cause of action or theory of liability, in respect of any loss or damage (including indirect, special or consequential loss or damage, loss of profit or loss of business opportunity), arising out of or in connection with this material or your use of it. Advertising sales: Max Hyde, Hyde Media Pty Ltd P 03 5792 1314 F 03 5792 1359 E [email protected] Advertising is subject to terms and conditions published on the ratecard, which is available from Hyde Media. ISSN: 1447-9680 Front cover: The Patron of The Campaign for Wool, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, visiting a woolgrowing property in Tasmania last month – see pages 4-5. Photo: Getty Images. upfront December 2012 Beyond the Bale 3 Getting on with business W e are continuing with initiatives to help increase the demand for wool through investments in marketing and R&D – from farm to fashion. I would like to inform you of some recent activities in which the organisation has been involved. WoolPoll 2012: Thank you to all woolgrowers who took part in WoolPoll 2012. In total, 60.94 per cent of all possible woolgrower votes were cast, the biggest return since the triennial vote began 12 years ago. This compares to 53.7 per cent of votes returned in 2009. This is a very high level of return for a voluntary vote. WoolPoll 2012 has set a new benchmark for our industry, with the highest ever outcome for both votes and voters. The vote to maintain a two per cent levy gives AWI the opportunity to continue the progress made in recent years across all areas of the organisation. We will manage the levy income responsibly and prudently to deliver outcomes for all growers. Ovine Johne’s disease (OJD): AWI hosted a productive OJD Information Forum last month in Sydney attended by woolgrowers, researchers and industry representatives. There were 24 speakers at the Forum. This meeting was an important opportunity for the greater wool and sheep industry to hear the latest OJD research, planned policy changes and to discuss the implications for livestock producers. Breech strike R&D: AWI-funded R&D continues to explore ways to best protect the Australian sheep flock from breech strike. At the latest AWI Breech Strike Research and Development Technical Update Forum, overviews of recent field trials were presented across various projects. While still in an R&D phase, SkinTraction™ being developed by Cobbett Technologies and AWI is showing some encouraging results for both breech modification and welfare. The presentations from the Forum are available on the AWI website at www.wool.com/ flystrikeRnDupdate Shearing competitions: AWI is providing support to shearing competitions at local, state and national levels. Competitions help encourage better techniques in shearing and woolhandling, which is for the benefit of the woolgrowing industry. AWI’s support aims to encourage a quality workforce and inspire young people to join the industry. The support is strongly focused on the entry-level learner shearer and novice woolhandler events, for which AWI will pay the entry fees. It’s important to give young and aspiring shearers and shed hands encouragement. Campaign for Wool – The Prince of Wales: We were very pleased to be given the opportunity to meet with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales last month during his tour of Australia, and thank him, as Patron of the Campaign for Wool, for his efforts in driving a new global demand for wool. During his tour, The Prince visited a Merino property in Tasmania and a ‘Farm to Fashion’ event in Sydney. He said that he wanted his visit to help remind people of the importance of wool and woolgrowers to the Australian economy. Campaign for Wool – International Wool Week: The Campaign for Wool was celebrated on an unprecedented global scale during the northern hemisphere autumn with more countries than ever creating their own programs of activity to celebrate International Wool Week across key consumer markets: USA, China, Japan, Korea, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Norway. The Campaign for Wool has been instrumental in driving a new demand for wool on an international scale. Brand endorsements of Merino: The Merino Wool. No Finer Feeling™ fibre advocacy campaign which positions wool as a premium and desirable fashion fibre, is getting real penetration in fashion markets. These past few months have seen a raft of endorsements in leading fashion magazines (including Vogue, Marie Claire, GQ and Esquire) and online by international designers and brands such as Ermenegildo Zegna, Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier and Dolce & Gabbana. The campaign is now endorsed by nearly 40 brand partners. AWI AGM 2012: AWI held its 2012 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 23 November in Sydney. AWI shareholders who were unable to attend the AGM in person were able to view the AGM proceedings via webcast and also had the opportunity to submit questions online for the AWI Chairman and CEO. As well as being broadcast live, the broadcast is now available to be viewed on demand on the AWI website at www.wool.com/agm Vale: Rod Thirkell-Johnston AM: I would like to pay tribute, along with woolgrowers around the country, to the outstanding industry advocate Rod Thirkell-Johnston who passed away at the end of August. Rod held multiple roles within the wool industry at state and national levels including President of the Wool Council of Australia and Australian Superfine Wool Growers’ Association. He also made an important contribution as a member of the 2012 WoolPoll Panel. He was an enthusiastic and effective advocate for the Merino wool industry for nearly half a century, and was a well-liked and respected individual. He will be sadly missed. Stuart McCullough Chief Executive Officer, Australian Wool Innovation 4 off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale ROYAL VISIT PATRON: HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES SUPPORTS AUSTRALIAN WOOL The Prince of Wales inspecting the Merino sheep of Brent and Jason Thornbury of ‘Leenavale’, Sorell, Tasmania. Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images Fast facts l The Patron of the Campaign for Wool, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, last month visited a Merino stud in Tasmania and attended a ‘Farm to Fashion’ event in Sydney. l The Prince said he wanted his visit to help remind people of the importance of wool and woolgrowers to the Australia economy. l With the support of The Prince, the Campaign for Wool has been instrumental in driving a new global demand for wool. H is Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Patron of the Campaign for Wool, was warmly welcomed by woolgrowers and the fashion industry when he visited Australia last month. During a busy tour, The Prince attended two functions to celebrate the Campaign for Wool – the first being a visit to a woolgrowing property in Tasmania, and the second a ‘Farm to Fashion’ event in Sydney. The Campaign for Wool is a global campaign that aims to encourage manufacturers, retailers and designers to choose wool and, in turn, educate their staff and consumers about the fibre’s environmental benefits. Now in its third year, the campaign is being celebrated on an unprecedented global scale with more countries than ever before creating their own program of activity to celebrate ‘Wool Week’ – see pages 6-9. FARM EVENT TASMANIA Prince watched shearers at work and wool handler Lucy Byers gather up the wool and throw it on the table for classing. The Prince also tried his hand at throwing a fleece. Brent Thornbury said after showing The Prince around his property, “He was great, very laid-back and interested in what we were doing.” He described how The Prince has his own holding where he breeds rare sheep, saying: “He’s got a fair patch of his own and was very interested in having a look at what we do and the wool in general.” To mark this special day, The Prince In Tasmania, The Prince was shown around the ‘Leenavale’ sheep property near Sorell by Brent Thornbury who, with his brother Jason, is the fourth generation of his family to run the property, owned by their father Kevin Thornbury, and which covers 5000 hectares and has around 12,000 Merino sheep. They watched as a mob of wethers ran into a classing race before going into the shed for shearing. The Prince of Wales throwing a fleece in the shearing shed at ‘Leenavale’, Sorell, Tasmania. Photo: William West, AFP Inside the shed, The off-farm December 2012 wore a new suit made from fine Australian Merino wool that he had had made especially for this trip. The grey pin-stripe double-breasted suit was tailored by Anderson & Sheppard and made from cloth supplied by Holland & Sherry. Later in the day in Hobart, The Prince and The Duchess of Cornwall were greeted by hundreds more people at Salamanca Place. The Prince popped into the Tasmanian Wool Co to view woollen products. Afterwards The Prince of Wales attended a reception and gave an impromptu speech about the importance of rural life and the key role that farming communities play. He also spoke about the vital importance of wool as a natural, renewable fibre. “One of the things I wanted to try and highlight today was the importance of wool as a natural fibre and to remind people of its importance and the importance of the growers and indeed of wool to the whole economy in Australia,” The Prince said. FARM TO FASHION EVENT SYDNEY In Sydney at an event held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, a collection of Australia’s most prominent designers that all support the Campaign for Wool – Camilla and Marc, Akira Isogawa, Dion Lee, Josh Goot and Ellery – showcased some of their wool designs to The Prince The Prince, who wore another suit made from Australian Merino wool, spent almost an hour chatting to over one hundred invited wool industry and fashion 5 Photo: William West/AFP/Getty Images Beyond the Bale The Prince of Wales chatting with Tom Ashby of ‘North Ashrose’, Gulnare, South Australia, and Booleroo Centre District School students Alistair Keller and Helane Blieschke at the event in Sydney. industry guests. With the next phase of the Campaign for Wool focussed on education, Australian students also met with The Prince. Year 10 student and winner of the Wool4skool design competition Brooke Pearce showed her understanding of wool fabric, and South Australian students from the Merino SA School Wether Competition showed their knowledge of animal husbandry. Peter Ackroyd, Executive of The Campaign for Wool said, “Since its inception, the Campaign for Wool has captured the imagination of both the fashion and design industries, and the public. With the support of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, it has been instrumental in driving a new demand for wool, the world’s favoured renewable and versatile fibre, and I’m delighted to see its continued growth in 2012 and beyond.” “We are very pleased to be given this opportunity to meet with HRH Prince of Wales and present some of our important Campaign for Wool partners,” added Stuart McCullough, AWI CEO. “With the support and endorsement of its Patron, the global Campaign for Wool continues to connect to consumers around the world, highlighting the benefits of wool in apparel and interiors.” More information: www.campaignforwool.com.au View a video of The Prince’s visit at www.youtube.com/ woolmarkonline The Prince of Wales pets a Merino lamb at the Sydney event, with five models wearing wool garments looking on. Photo: William West, AFP 6 off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Campaign for Wool: UK Wool Week The Campaign for Wool Committee with the winning fashion and textile PATRON: HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES Jaeger shop front promoting wool during Wool Week. design students of the ‘Wool School’ event. Knitwear retailer Lyle & Scott ‘putt-ing’ on a woolly golf extravaganza outside In store Campaign for Wool promotion at womenswear retailer Hobbs. their store in Covent Garden, London. Window display of Topshop, which has 300 stores in the UK. AWI Northern Hemisphere Regional Marketing Manager Kara Hurry with President of Condé Nast International Nicholas Coleridge CBE and HRH The Countess of Wessex at the launch of Wool Week. off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Woolgrowers from across Australia donated wool that wrapped the world-famous Harvey Nichols’ Knightsbridge store in yarn as part of Campaign for Wool celebrations. Fast facts l The Campaign for Wool has celebrated its third year in the UK with a series of events and promotions held across the country during Wool Week in October. l Australian woolgrowers were directly involved, with producers of a broader micron donating their fibre for yarn to decorate the Harvey Nichols’ historic Knightsbridge store. l Key retailers and designers are supporting the campaign. G rowers of broader micron wool from across Australia have taken up the opportunity to be directly involved in the marketing of their fibre by taking part in a unique Campaign for Wool event in the UK as part of the country’s Wool Week. Broad micron wool (between 22 and 34 micron) donated by woolgrowers wrapped the historic three-storey Harvey Nichols’ Knightsbridge building in oversized, brightly coloured wool yarn. The names of donors can be seen at www.campaignforwool.org. Weaving in and out of windows and around the landmark building for two weeks during October, the yarn was joined by a pair of huge knitting needles to create an eye-catching display and unveil the world’s largest ball of wool. The giant yarn was created from carefully made wool top, made by international wool supplier and Woolmark licensee H. Dawson. H. Dawson CEO, Jo Dawson, said the Campaign for Wool is an essential global initiative which helps raise awareness of wool’s many wonderful natural properties. “The fact that the campaign is partnering with Harvey Nichols sends the message to the world that wool is well and truly in fashion,” Mr Dawson said. But it wasn’t only Harvey Nichols which helped the UK celebrate Wool Week, retailers across the country filled their storefronts with wool merchandise and promotional material. A major focus of this year’s Wool Week was an initiative called ‘Wool School’, which brought an educational twist to the campaign and paired some of the UK’s best known retailers with fashion and textile design students from 7 universities across the country. Wool School gave the students the opportunity to design a wool-rich jumper which was then sold in their retail partners’ stores during Wool Week. The retailers were: Topshop, Marks & Spencer, Paul Smith, Harvey Nichols, Pringle, DAKS, John Lewis, Hobbs, Lyle & Scott, Hackett and Jigsaw. Other initiatives during Wool Week included the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre housing a bespoke wool interiors installation; and ‘Love Wool’ in which 25 super knitters clicked their knitting needles in a bid to speedily stitch a Union Jack flag in the time it took to travel by train from London to Edinburgh. Wool Week generated exceptional news coverage across online, print, broadcast and radio media including the front page of The Times, ITV1’s ‘This Morning’, Radio 4’s PM show and extensive online titles including Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan and GQ. And it was not just the UK that celebrated Wool Week during the northern hemisphere autumn. Celebrations of wool unfolded across other key consumer markets, with more countries than ever before joining in international Wool Weeks to help drive demand for wool – see pages 8-9. Campaign for Wool project manager for AWI, Susie Stanway, said she was delighted with how well received the campaign had been on an international scale. “Wool Week was not merely limited to the campaign’s home country of the UK, but was celebrated in major cities across the world with unprecedented success,” Ms Stanway said. “From events unique to particular locations, to the ever-popular Wool Modern exhibition, thousands of wool-lovers are helping promote the wonderful natural benefits of the fibre and in turn drive the demand for wool. “Receiving wool straight from the source, thanks to the woolgrowers who donated their fibre to wrap the Harvey Nichols store in wool, shows that the Campaign for Wool is capturing the hearts and imagination of those involved in the production of wool as well as the end users of this wonderful fibre.” The Campaign for Wool, of which His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is Patron, is a global campaign that aims to encourage manufacturers, retailers and designers to choose wool and, in turn, educate consumers about the fibre’s environmental benefits. More information: www.campaignforwool.org 8 off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Campaign for Wool: INTERNATIONAL WOOL WEEK PATRON: HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES Fast facts l Celebrations of wool unfolded across key consumer markets during the northern hemisphere autumn. l The Campaign for Wool is being celebrated on an unprecedented global scale with more countries than ever before creating their own programme of activity to celebrate ‘Wool Week’. l The campaign has been instrumental in driving a new demand for wool on an international scale. USA During the inaugural Wool Week in the USA, Bryant Park in the garment district of Manhattan was transformed into an interactive, woollen wonderland (pictured) designed to educate consumers about wool and its properties. A ‘Wool Fountain’ was installed and sheep grazed freely on the grassed area of the park. France Launched for the first time in France, Wool Week was held in the 16th Arrondissement of Paris in partnership with the Passy Plaza Shopping Centre. The week kicked off with a call to action for all French knitters and crafters who were invited to design “the ultimate wool scarf”. The week also included a fashion parade and sheep shearing demonstrations (pictured). Norway In Norway, the Wool Week program included a “white gold” exhibition at the National Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, a pop-up shop in Oslo’s Paleet shopping arcade selling wool, and student events. The week concluded with a seminar in the Norwegian Parliament about fashion and business. Korea Launched at the British embassy in Seoul, the inaugural Korean Wool Week was celebrated with a salon show and exhibition (pictured) presenting the best of Korean and international brands. The week was also supported by Lotte, the leading Seoul department store with a VIP event and charity auction, and window campaign. off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale 9 Japan The Campaign for Wool joined forces with Ginza Fashion Week to celebrate the best of wool fashion with two leading department stores: Matsuya and Mitsukoshi. Both stores showcased wool in their windows and display areas (pictured) throughout Ginza Fashion Week. The annual Kobe Tweed Walk & Ride also supported the Campaign for Wool. China The internationally renowned ‘Wool Modern’ exhibition (pictured) opened in Shanghai – complete with eight amazing new pieces specially commissioned from Chinese designers. Vision magazine dedicated its October issue to the event. Shanghai’s luxury department store SOGO extended the Wool Week celebrations with an installation of selected pieces from the exhibition. Netherlands An action packed week of activity celebrated the Campaign for Wool with everything from street based guerrilla stunts to a dazzling launch event in Amsterdam featuring over 20 wool outfits designed especially for the Campaign for Wool by established designers as well as alumni from fashion and design university in the Netherlands. Germany After a great start last year with the launch of the Wool Modern in Berlin, Wool School was the primary focus for the German market to celebrate the Campaign for Wool in 2012. A series of strategic partnerships with leading retailers Wormland (pictured), Marc Cain, Horst Wanschura, Heimat Cologne, and Brooks were established. Spain This year saw Spain’s largest ever celebration of urban knitting which saw key locations around Madrid yarn bombed with amigurumi (knitted animal) figures, a woolly photographic exhibition in influential local retailers, a live recreation of the wool production process, a knitting lounge, and fashion parades (pictured) by Spanish designers and brands. More information: www.campaignforwool.org 10 off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale T Vogue’s sheep station photoshoot he December issue of Vogue Australia features a series of stunning images of Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki shot on location at ‘Haddon Rig’ Merino wool property near Warren in central NSW. Vogue’s Creative Director, Jillian Davison shot the beautiful 22 year old actress among the sheep and with the shearers on the property. The actress, who stars in Baz Luhrmann’s much anticipated movie ‘The Great Gatsby’, even tried her hand at shearing, about which she was quoted as saying, “It was really hard work, they buck around and are really heavy!” AWI sponsored a special behindthe-scenes video of the shoot. The video, featuring Woolmark branding, was made available on the Vogue Australia website, viewable by the one million unique visitors that view the site each month. It has also been publicised via Vogue Australia’s and AWI’s social media channels. More information: www.merino.com/haddonrig View the behind-the-scenes video at www.youtube.com/ woolmarkonline off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale 11 AWI’s Runway 101 Kit on show Fast facts l AWI’s Runway 101 Kit is designed to provide regional events with everything they need to easily produce a good runway show. l The readymade kit includes commercially available wool outfits from Australian brands, as well as information and accessories to help run the runway show. l The kit is available for loan to event organisers across regional Australia. clear direction as to which Australian designers were included and how they should be showcased. “My team and I have worked on industry events such as Australian Fashion Week, the L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival and it takes a great deal of time, dedication and liaison with the designers to put together and then style a quality fashion showcase. “Runway 101 was a wonderful showcase of Australian designer fashion and we hope that this important initiative continues so we can continue to showcase the best Australian designer woollen fashion at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show.” The runway kit is available for loan to suitable wool-focused events. The kit is contained in a robust wardrobe case for ease of storage and transport. More information: Enquiries from event organisers interested in borrowing the Runway 101 Kit should be directed to Kate Muir at AWI on (02) 8295 3100 or [email protected] S howcasing some of Australia’s greatest designers and retailers, AWI’s Runway 101 Kit has been on tour since July, featuring at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo, Sheepvention in Hamiliton, Newdegate Machinery Field Day, Perth Royal Show and Boorowa Woolfest. The runway kit was created to assist the organisers of regional shows to showcase great examples of wearable wool fashion at their events. The readymade kit includes everything from completely styled wool outfits to scripts, runway music and apparel steamers. It has been designed specifically to make running a runway show as easy as possible for event organisers. “The Runway 101 Kit is a great initiative that brings the latest wool fashion trends to our regional communities,” explained AWI Country Manager Stephen Feighan. “The kit professionally showcases wearable and commercially available wool products from the current collections of AWI’s retail and design partners.” The kit includes garments from the Autumn/Winter 2012 collections from leading Australian designers and brands including: Camilla and Marc, Carl Kapp, Collette Dinnigan, Country Road, Danielle Chiel, Decjuba, Ellery, EMU Australia, Farage, Ginger & Smart, Magdalena Velevska, M J Bale, Sabatini, Thurley and Sportscraft. “We were delighted to receive the Runway 101 kit as part of the fashion presentation of wool at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo,” said the runway producer for the Show, Alida Milani. “The kit arrived in perfect order with Models wearing wool apparel from Australian brands Thurley and Sabatini, supplied as part of AWI’s Runway 101 Kit, at this year’s Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo. 12 off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Wool lauded by fashion designers Fast facts l An exhibition ‘When Wool is in Fashion’, created by Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue in collaboration with AWI, opened during Milan Fashion Week to reaffirm Australian Merino wool’s position within the luxury apparel market. l The exhibition – attended by some of the most important names of the fashion and textile industry – showcased a photo shoot featuring 10 well-known international fashion brands who also provided quotes endorsing the fibre to accompany the images that appeared in Vogue publications. l The project was part of AWI’s global ‘Merino. No Finer Feeling™’ fibre advocacy campaign that is starting to get real penetration in fashion markets. "W ool is a luxury material. And when we speak about luxury we speak about wool.” So exclaimed Donatella Versace at the opening of an exhibition titled ‘When Wool is in Fashion’, hosted during Milan Fashion Week by AWI in conjunction with Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue. “Wool is one of those fabrics that I always use; a material so beautiful in its essence, extremely sartorial by nature it allows you to play and mix it with different materials,” the chief designer and vicepresident of the Versace Group explained. The exhibition is one element of AWI’s global ‘Merino. No Finer Feeling™’ fibre advocacy campaign and followed on from the photo shoot featuring 10 well-known international fashion brands which appeared in the two prestigious publications, along with a 102-page book titled The Art of Merino. An Extraordinary Matter. Some of the most important names in the fashion and textile industry attended the event, showing support to the woolgrowers of Australia with the aim of increasing sales and encouraging more designers to work with wool. Among the guests were editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue Franca Sozzani, Paolo Zegna, Pier Luigi Loro Piana, Carla Sozzani, Teresa Missoni, Michael Roberts and Raffaello Napoleone and other important names of the international fashion industry. AWI’s Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer Rob Langtry said the entire project reaffirmed Merino wool’s position within the contemporary luxury market. “We are very proud to be working alongside the most important designers, media and industry representatives on behalf of the Australian wool industry,” Mr Langtry said. “Australian wool is the best in the world and is being acknowledged as such through this amazing campaign. “Working in collaboration with Vogue – both for the artistic book and magazine advertorial – propels Australian Merino wool further into the spotlight and cements AWI and the Woolmark brand within the global fashion market. "One of the ways we measure the success of our campaigns is engagement with industry partners. From the two we started with, and five last year, this year we are getting close to 40." More information: www.woolmark.com www.merino.com View a video of the Milan event at www.youtube.com/ woolmarkonline off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale 13 DESIGNER QUOTES The international designers joined the AWI and Vogue project to celebrate the excellence and fashion-inspiration of Merino wool. They unveiled their own visions and styles through iconic wool pieces, both men and women, and a series of personal, amazing quotes about the fibre that appeared in Vogue publications. “Wool has always been an important material in my collection, as it all started with the grey wool suit.” Thom Browne “Multifaceted and multipurpose: combed, trimmed, raw, super light for the summer, enveloping and comfortable against the winter cold. Wool, a noble and versatile fabric, hard-wearing and natural, lends itself to the most different interpretations of modern aesthetics. The Ferragamo collections play with wool’s extraordinary adaptability while reaffirming the brand’s passion for natural fabrics, giving it, during each season, a different soul: in oversized volumes or slim fits, hand knitted or high tech, with sculptural effects or a boho-chic flavor. It is revealed constantly as a perfect fiber for every occasion and use, the exceptional interpreter of the contemporary spirit.” Massimiliano Giornetti for Salvatore Ferragamo “Knitwear has always been a fundamental part of our collections. We used it for maxi pull overs and cardigans, as well as for the little v-neck sweaters. We created woven scarves and the woollen union suits once used by the shepherds and farms in Sicily. We love touching wool, feeling it on our skin, seeing it worn by men and women alike.” Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana “I love the many personalities of wool, sheer, jersey, pinstripe, twill, blanketed in tartan. There are endless expressions.” Donna Karan “I work with wool as I work with my creations: I like to find solutions, to speak with my team about how we can innovate with this natural and traditional material. We experience new cuts, new design, new prints. And above all new ideas.” Alber Elbaz for Lanvin “Wool is a fall essential and this season it is really what builds the mystery because it is all about oversized coats with narrow silhouettes. Wool is very practical, but it can also be glamorous.” Diane Von Furstenberg “I consider myself lucky because I have inherited from my parents, Rosita and Ottavio, an exclusive and specific way of designing knitwear. When I became creative director in 1997, I was determined to try out maximum expansions and extreme contractions with iconic patterns, but also to make knitwear that is increasingly lighter, transparent, with a barelythere feel like tulle, or extremely stiff supported, just like felt. I doubled it with fabric, interwove it with leather, suede or fur, contributing to make it increasingly versatile. Sophisticated, sensual and comfortable like a second skin. A star in today’s fashion world.” Angela Missoni for Missoni “Wool: raw, sophisticated and warm.” Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci “Outerwear and fabric manipulation gave me the opportunity to expand on the richness of wool, such as laminating tweed and the concept of shrink wrapping knits to give a surreal, high-gloss effect.” Alexander Wang 14 off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Fast facts l AWI and Merino wool were well represented at this year’s trendsetting Milano Unica textiles fair. l The event underpins the strong relationship between the Australian wool industry and the European textile community. l Fashion designer Michael Lo Sordo became the first Australian to present a collection at the prestigious On Stage event. an influential group of buyers, media and industry. “It’s such an honour to have been selected to showcase and represent Australia for this year’s On Stage at Milano Unica,” Mr Lo Sordo said. “To be able to present our designs, manipulations and creations focusing on Merino wool is an absolute pleasure. I previewed my Autumn Winter 13 collection at the event which uses exquisite new marbling techniques to dye and characterise my wool so it’s an incredibly exciting opportunity, especially at this early stage in my career.” Milano Unica president, Silvio Albini, praised the ten young designers and their inventive creations at the On Stage fashion show. “This initiative, in collaboration with Woolmark, was not a competition but a constructive happening to promote dialog between new young designers and Italian A Merino wool creation of Australian designer Michael Lo Sordo at Milano Unica’s On Stage event, and European textile manufacturers,” Mr supported by AWI. Albini said. The 10 designers who presented at WI reaffirmed its presence at this wool suitable for On Stage were: Co|Te year’s edition of Milano Unica – the warm climates and (Italy); Huishan Zhang “This initiative, in prestigious international textile fair held environments. (China); Barbara collaboration with in September. Presenting the finest Presenting partner Casasola (Brazil); Woolmark, was quality products from European textile of On Stage since Altewai Saome not a competition manufacturers, Milano Unica attracted its establishment (Sweden); Michael Lo but a constructive more than 21,000 visitors. in 2009, AWI is Sordo (Australia) and happening to promote dialog between new AWI ensured that Australian Merino committed to Omer Asim (Sudan) for young designers wool was extremely well represented, educating and women’s wear; Camo and Italian and due to its engagement in the textile supporting emerging (Italy); Erïk Bjerkesjö European textile fair’s signature event ‘On Stage’ and also designers by inviting (Sweden); Tim Coppens manufacturers .” by doubling its presence inside the fair, them to discover the (Belgium) and Matthew SILVIO ALBINI attending Moda In as well as Ideabiella. quality and versatility Miller (Great Britain) for AWI showcased its latest edition of of Merino wool. menswear. The Wool Lab, the seasonal guide for And in a coup for Australian fashion, Merino wool trends and products for designer Michael Lo Sordo became the More information: autumn winter 2013/14, as well Cool Wool, first Australian designer to be invited to www.milanounica.it the global marketing program conceived present his collection at the prestigious On View videos of On Stage at www. by AWI to highlight the finest Merino Stage event. The event was attended by youtube.com/woolmarkonline MILANO UNICA ON STAGE A off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Zegna: a passion for wool Fast facts l Iconic menswear brand Ermenegildo Zegna is reaffirming its passion for Merino wool through its latest campaign. l Zegna and the Woolmark brand have had a long-standing relationship, spanning nearly 50 years. l The campaign is one element of AWI’s global ‘Merino. No Finer Feeling™’ fibre advocacy campaign and highlighted the fineness, versatility, comfort and luxurious touch of Merino wool. A lmost 50 years ago Ermenegildo Zegna became the first Woolmark licensee. Now, the iconic menswear brand is reaffirming its passion for Merino wool, featuring the precious fibre in the company’s stunning new international advertising campaign which was launched in association with AWI. Featuring iconic wool pieces from Zegna’s latest Autumn Winter collection, the joint advertising campaign ran from October to December in some of the most important men’s fashion publications in China, the UK, USA and France, with the objective of informing and educating Men’s Merino wool apparel is featured in Ermenegildo Zegna’s new international advertising campaign, which is launched in association with AWI. 15 consumers about the wonderful natural qualities of Merino wool. The campaign is one element of AWI’s global ‘Merino. No Finer Feeling™’ fibre advocacy campaign and highlighted the fineness, versatility, comfort and luxurious touch of Merino wool. These qualities have been achieved thanks to both Zegna’s craftsmanship and to the passion of Australian woolgrowers who grow the world’s finest Merino wool to the very highest standards. AWI’s Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer Robert Langtry said, "The ongoing partnership between AWI and Ermenegildo Zegna was solidly based on common values such as excellence, innovation and commitment to quality. “It is essential to continue to educate and inform consumers around the world about the extraordinary qualities of Merino wool. Both Zegna and Australian woolgrowers have a long lasting engagement to make the best of this unique, precious fibre.” Zegna and Australian woolgrowers have a close and lengthy association, perfectly represented by the Ermenegildo Zegna Extrafine Wool Trophy that was established in 1963 by Zegna. The award honours the commitment of Australian woolgrowers to quality along with their common pursuit for excellence. The award was founded to stimulate the production of the finest Merino wool in Australia, as Zegna strongly believed in the potential of fine woollen fabrics. To create such fabrics, it was essential to get fine and superfine wool, therefore Ermenegildo Zegna was primarily interested in encouraging growers to produce fine wool, supporting their efforts and attention to quality. “The longstanding collaboration with Woolmark confirms the Zegna Group’s continued commitment to supporting and promoting the production of Merino wool,” says Anna Zegna – Image Director of the Zegna Group. “This coming year we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Zegna Wool Awards, a competition established in 1963 to award and reward Australian woolgrowers dedication to quality. “The partnership with The Woolmark Company confirms, therefore, this deep and lasting commitment by the Zegna Group to encourage breeders producing fine wool to obtain the finest and highest possible quality of pure Merino wool.” More information: www.merino.com/zegna 16 off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Educating textile graduates Twenty-four of the UK’s leading textile students vied for the prestigious Woolmark Texprint Award, which was this year awarded to weaver Sophie Manners (front row, second from right). Photo: James McCauley. Fast facts l AWI supports the UK’s leading textile graduate design prize Texprint. l AWI sponsors the Woolmark Texprint Award in support of the Campaign for Wool to help educate early career textile designers about the benefits of working with wool. l Designer Sophie Manners won the 2012 Woolmark Texprint Award due to her technical excellence and commerciality of her weave designs. A WI continues to throw its support behind emerging textile designers in key fashion regions across the world. In the UK, the Woolmark Texprint Award in support of the Campaign for Wool ran successfully for the second year attracting more entrants showing a wider variety of product. The award, first launched to universities and colleges nationwide in 2010, recognises design excellence in fabrics created with 60 per cent or more Merino wool, whether presented as printed, woven, knitted and/or mixed media fabric. Texprint promotes the UK’s most talented textile design students and has the support of industry professionals worldwide. Texprint provides a springboard into industry for the 24 talented designers who are selected each year and their first experience of exhibiting and selling their works alongside professional and established designers. The Woolmark Texprint Award was judged and awarded in September at the ‘Indigo’ textile design speciality event – part of the Première Vision trade show in Paris. AWI was one of 1867 exhibitors that participated in the three-day Première Vision event which attracted more than 46,000 visitors. Première Vision is a strong supporter and advocate of Texprint which draws a strong industry following. This year the Woolmark Texprint Award was presented by esteemed trend forecaster Nelly Rodi along with AWI consultant and IWTO president Peter Ackroyd. Ms Rodi reminded the audience of buyers, press and design professionals of her passion for nurturing young talent and her long-held admiration for the British design education system. “British schools seem to take a much freer approach to educating their students, mixing different approaches such as photography, art and fashion, leaving the student to express himself, without imposed rule…freedom gives a lot of energy to fashion,” Ms Rodi said. Mr Ackroyd emphasised AWI’s focus on “education, education, education” and reiterated its desire to ensure that young designers are encouraged to work with wool, and to understand both its properties and its potential for fashion and interiors markets. Weaver Sophie Manners was the worthy recipient of this year’s award which includes extensive training from AWI on the benefits and uses of Merino wool. The prize was judged by James E Sugden OBE, director of Johnstons of Elgin; James Dracup, group managing director of Johnstons of Elgin; and Masahiro Oono, textile design project manager of Japanese specialist wool weaver Nikke. Both companies have a long experience in creating fine wool fabrics for the luxury market and were exhibitors at Première Vision. Mr Sugden said the judges selected Miss Manners because of her superb use of Merino wool in terms of the variety of weights used, technical excellence and the commerciality of her weave designs. She has a distinctive style and Mr Oono praised her tremendous imagination. “Technically, her fabrics are wellconstructed and executed. There is a off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale 17 commerciality that can be translated into something saleable,” Mr Sugden said. Miss Manners, a graduate from the Royal College of Art, said it was her love for experimentation which sparked an interest in wool as a fabric. “I love experimenting with texture and wool can provide so many different tactile effects,” she said. “I know that Woolmark is constantly pushing the boundaries of wool and I would love to find new ways to push fabric design even further. Wool is a really versatile fabric and I had a lot of fun experimenting with it and enjoying the hugely different effects I was able to produce with pure wool and blended fabrics.” More information: www.texprint.org.uk Judges examining the fabrics of Woolmark Texprint Award winner Sophie Manners, at the ‘Indigo’ textile design speciality event in Paris. Photo: James McCauley. PREVIOUS TEXPRINT WINNER: HARRIET TOOGOOD I n 2011 University of Brighton graduate Harriet Toogood was presented with the inaugural Woolmark Texprint Award for her superb woven textile designs, which were created with 60 per cent or more Merino wool. Fast-forward 12 months and Miss Toogood is now assistant designer to the product development team at textile innovators Camira Fabrics. The UK-based company designs innovative, adventurous and environmentally sustainable fabrics, with many of its worsted-spun fabrics coming from Australian wool. “My role involves working in the design team to create core products and working with existing and prospective customers to create custom made designs, specific to their own specifications,” Miss Toogood said. “Both core and custom made developments consist of colour selection, Last year’s winner of the Woolmark Texprint Award Harriet Toogood has gone on to work with textile innovators Camira Fabrics, a UK-based company that uses Australian wool in its products and pays particular attention to environmental sustainability. Photo: Mark Mawston pattern and textual design and the consideration of sustainable and green credentials. “One of Camira’s most sustainable fabrics is called Sting Plus. It is based on the common nettle, which produces a uniquely strong, soft and naturally fire retardant textile fabric. It is blended with pure new wool from Australia, making it a totally natural and sustainable upholstery fabric.” It was Miss Toogood’s highly individual approach to creating contemporary woven textiles which saw her win the 2011 Woolmark Texprint Award and help kickstart her professional career. “My final project at university explored weaving natural yarn, specifically wool, in conjunction with plastic materials taken directly from the farmyard and everyday life, examining the suitability of the two within a fabric. “My father worked on a farm for the majority of my childhood and it was through these memories that I chose to base my work on the farm, using its raw materials.” Miss Toogood has exhibited her personal fabrics at both Spin Expo Shanghai and Première Vision Paris. She was also invited to attend ComON creativity week at Lake Como, Italy, with three other Texprint winners. “It was a combination of all these experiences that helped me gain a job within the British woven textile industry. I feel very lucky.” 18 off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale From Flinders fibre to fashion Woolgrower Warren Luckraft explaining Merino fibre to some of the young Hong Kong designers. Fast facts l Six emerging designers from Hong Kong recently visited Australia as part of a study tour designed to educate the young designers about the wool production process. l The designers learnt all about wool fibre, and the supply chain from the farm through first stage processing to fashion. l AWI aims to raise awareness of the natural benefits of Australian Merino wool among fashion designers worldwide. "H aving more knowledge about wool can push me and inspire me to design more garments using wool and use the fibre in a different way.” That’s the assertion from young Hong Kong designer Key Chow, who along with five other emerging Hong Kong designers recently won awards to visit Australia to learn more about the wool production pipeline and be encouraged to work with wool. Mr Chow was awarded the Australia Study Tour scholarship – sponsored by the Flinders Merino woolgrower group – whilst the other designers – Yuliya Nip, Tak Shing, Loanna Lo, Grace Fung and Venus Lo – won Best Use of Australian Merino awards sponsored by AWI which enabled them to visit Australia. “I’m very impressed with the wool industry in Australia,” Mr Chow said. “The knowledge of wool can inspire me to produce designs that are more creative and innovative. In fashion it is very important to be outstanding: using good, quality wool in my designs can add value directly to them.” The group visited South Australia’s Flinders Ranges for a closer look at the source of the Merino wool they use in so many of their designs. John Parnell of the Flinders Merino woolgrower group said the group was keen to raise the visiting designers’ awareness of the natural benefits of Merino wool. “We have great pleasure in showing them our sheep and how the process works out here so that they then have an understanding of where the fibre comes from,” he explained. “The designers have such a fresh approach to things and sometimes their themes contain elements that I’ve never even given consideration to before; so they really are wonderfully creative and that’s seen in their designs.” Flinders Merino has sponsored an Australia Study Tour scholarship for Hong Kong designers for several years. “The annual scholarship came about six years ago after we visited Hong Kong Polytechnic University and saw that not very many of the young design students were using wool,” explained Geoff Power from Flinders Merino. “It’s very important for us as woolgrowers to be able to relate to designers, to get them to use our product off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale in their designs. And what has been really great for us to see is that most of those Hong Kong designers are now using wool, because they value that scholarship.” It was the first time the designers on this visit had seen Merino sheep in their natural habitat. Flinders Merino not only provided the young designers with intimate knowledge of how the fibre is produced, but also offered genuine hospitality, a glimpse into the life of Australian woolgrowers and an appreciation of the Australian landscape. The young designers also had the opportunity to visit Adelaide’s Michell Pty Ltd – the world’s only wholly owned vertical wool supply chain and an important supplier of carbonised wool into the Hong Kong knitwear market. Michell was well suited to assist the tour and explain to the designers the complexities of the wool value chain. The designers’ tour also included visits to AWEX and AWTA to offer education about the pre-export process; RMIT University’s School of Fashion and Textiles to showcase their work to Australian designers and exchange ideas from a professional perspective; EMU Australia to understand the quality of wool and sheepskin used; and the National Wool Museum to learn the history of the wool industry. By sponsoring scholarships and study tours in Hong Kong, AWI aims to raise awareness of the natural benefits of Australian Merino wool among the young generation of design talent in this important location. Hong Kong is one of the world’s major knitwear exporters. As the gateway for southern and eastern Chinese wool processors and manufacturers, it is a global hub for sourcing wool garments particularly for the major US and European brands. While the aim of the tour was to educate the young designers about Australian wool, and inspire them to use more of the fibre in their designs, the Australian woolgrowers and companies that the designers visited were also able to learn about the key market of Hong Kong and the thoughts of its young fashion designers. More information: A video of the designers’ visit, including comments from the designers and the woolgrowers they visited, is available at www. youtube.com/woolmarkonline 19 One of the young Hong Kong designers learning the skills involved with shearing. Woolgrowers from the Flinders Merino woolgrower group being shown some of the Merino wool designs of the visiting designers. 20 off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Australian woolgrowers on a visit to the AWI office in Hong Kong. Fast facts l Woolgrowers visiting Hong Kong said they have been impressed with the work being done by AWI in the region. l AWI does marketing, product development and education in the region to help build demand for wool. l As the gateway for southern and eastern Chinese wool processors and manufacturers, Hong Kong is a global hub for sourcing wool garments particularly for the major US and European brands. W oolgrowers visiting Hong Kong have expressed their support for the work being done by AWI in the region. As the gateway for southern and eastern Chinese wool processors and manufacturers, Hong Kong is one of the world’s major knitwear exporters and a global hub for sourcing wool garments particularly for the major US and European brands. Woolgrower groups from Australia often travel to the region to visit the factories involved in transforming their fibre into yarns, fabrics and apparel products ready for global retail markets. And whilst in Hong Kong, the woolgrower groups also often arrange a visit to the AWI office to learn about the marketing, product development and education work that AWI is doing in the region, on behalf of Australian woolgrowers, to build demand for wool. As part of a woolgrower delegation, organised by Fox & Lillie, visiting mills and manufacturers in the region earlier this year, woolgrower Michael Blake of ‘Bally Glunin Park’, Hamilton, Victoria also attended briefings at AWI’s offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Following the visit, Mr Blake said he had been impressed with what he saw and heard from staff. “For some years I have been outspoken against much of AWI’s commitment into Asia, but my trip really opened my eyes to what the company has been doing there and the potential for the future,” Mr Blake said. “The presentations and physical sample products presented to us by AWI demonstrate this – I could not believe the practical woollen fabrics that were shown to us, and their potential. You had to be there to appreciate the yarn and fabric development work that was being done with Merino wool. “The region’s processing and garment manufacture is as good as any I have seen and through their research and utilising wool’s unique properties their new garment ranges are brilliant. “I have also just returned from London Wool Week and Biella where I showed a number of processors, fashion houses, fashion and design students and retailers some of the Hong Kong samples and they were very excited about what was generating from research in Hong Kong. “While in Hong Kong, my wife Cathy and I were also privileged to sit in the front row at the young designers’ fashion show. We fully support AWI’s initiatives to help foster young designers to use wool. “The trip has reinforced my belief that we can’t go wrong breeding and growing high quality good processing wools, both Merino and crossbred.” A woolgrower tour led by Bevan Jolly of Elders Dubbo also recently visited the AWI Hong Kong office. Gordon Cox of ‘Langdene’, Dunedoo, NSW, who was on tour, said that he was impressed with the breadth and intensity of work that AWI was doing in the Hong Kong region, and also the enthusiasm that the AWI staff displayed. “We walked away after the meeting feeling that the AWI representatives could not have been more passionate about what they are doing. “The staff showed us wool fabric samples of new product innovations – such as 3-D, see-through and vintage effects – that had been developed in collaboration with AWI’s business partners, and which are inspiring brands to introduce more wool into their collections. “They also put a tremendous effort into helping educate manufacturers in the region about Merino wool, regularly holding seminars on technical topics, such as garment production, as well as promotional topics, such as the benefits of Merino wool. “There’s of course a big emphasis on providing marketing support to brands and retailers, which involves activities ranging from help in providing point-of-sale material to providing training to retail staff to enable them to promote Merino apparel more effectively to their customers. “I was particularly impressed with the amount of work they are doing to promote Merino and the Woolmark brand to a younger generation. There was a real feeling of vibrancy to their work. “I’d say that the growers on the visit felt that their levy money was being very well spent.” off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale 21 Marie Claire promotes Merino A cross-media campaign publicised by Marie Claire magazine in the USA praises Merino wool as innovative, natural and forward thinking, dubbing it the future of fashion. For the past few months, Marie Claire has been running an advertorial series featuring each month a fashion designer working with Merino wool. The program was designed to leverage Marie Claire’s fashion-forward audience to increase Woolmark brand visibility and promote Merino wool in the USA. The multi-platform program has been reaching out to consumers via an in-magazine advertorial series, an online campaign including behind-the-scenes videos and photos, an in-store event and via social media platforms. The partnership with Marie Claire is one element of AWI’s global ‘Merino. No Finer Feeling™’ fibre advocacy campaign and not only provides exclusive insights into renowned designers, but also educates consumers about the unique and natural qualities of Merino wool. AWI country manager for the USA, Michelle Lee, said consumer education was the essence of the campaign. “Having The Woolmark Company and Merino wool’s presence across varying media outlets, including Marie Claire, enables direct engagement with US consumers about Merino wool as a natural, renewable and biodegradable fibre,” Ms Lee said. “This media presence will ultimately raise wool’s presence as a fibre desired by leading designers and brands, and in turn a fibre desired by consumers. Consumer education has always played a crucial role in all of Woolmark’s campaigns, positioning Merino wool as an affordable yet luxury fibre.” Known for his daring sophistication and effortless elegance, Peter Som was the first designer to be featured in this cross-media campaign. “For me, wool has become the most versatile fabric I can think of. It can be the softest tissue weight wool or you can make a flowing dress,” he says in the behind-the- The ‘Behind the Design’ spread featuring designer Ginny Hilfiger that featured in the November edition of Marie Claire in the USA. Fast facts l AWI and the Woolmark brand have teamed up with Marie Claire magazine in the USA to promote the unique and natural benefits of Merino wool. l The cross-media campaign features well-known designers who have each used wool in their latest collections. l The three-month campaign aims to educate consumers about wool as well as raise brand awareness within the USA. scenes video. “I have used wool since day one. For this particular collection it was really about a felted kind of quality which could stand up the silhouette I wanted.” Another featured designer is Ginny Hilfiger of the Ginny H label who has been designing clothing for over 20 years. The youngest of the Hilfiger siblings, Ginny made a name for herself while designing for her brother’s company Tommy Hilfiger. “I love working with wool as a designer because of its versatility,” she says. “Wool and lightweight form can be treated like a chiffon; you can drape it, you can ruche it, you can pin tuck it, you can pleat it, you can make it into feminine blouses. “I love that it’s seasonless, tricots in the summer, wool flannels in the fall, wool felt for coatings, bouclé for texture. Especially now I just love taking wool into new forms; it wears well, it always looks new.” The Marie Claire online editorial team ran a “Have To Have It” campaign to coincide with the partnership, where for one week all their suggested fashion picks will be Merino wool features from globally recognised brands. AWI has created a microsite via Merino. com featuring the behind-the-scenes videos and photos for each designer. More information: www.merino.com/marieclaire 22 off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Alaska to Patagonia Two guys, two bikes and Merino wool When 26 year olds Mike Carroll and Maxi Walker headed off on an extreme adventure, they took apparel made from a true performance: Merino wool. off-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale 23 Fast facts l Two mates from NSW pedalled 30,000 kilometres, from Alaska to Patagonia, wearing Merino woollen garments. l The pair was so impressed with how remarkable the fibre was that they want to tell producers just how good their product is. l What they loved most about the fibre was the fact it did not smell after being worn for days. S chool friends Mike Carroll and Maxi Walker have completed the ride of their lives on an epic adventure which saw them cross though Arctic climates and desert terrain. For 22 months the boys pushed and pedalled their bikes the 30,000 kilometres from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina – the most southern city in the world. With pannier bags full of essential items strapped to their bikes, one of the only constant factors during this adventure was each other’s company – along with their use of Merino wool. Versatile, resilient, comfortable and warm are a few factors which now come to mind when Mike and Maxi think of Merino wool. “Mum and Dad both grew up on farms so woolly jumpers were big fashion in our house in Cooma,” Mike said. “During university I worked in an outdoor shop so I built up a collection of woollen apparel and knowledge of the fibre. “As soon as we started our trip I knew that the Merino wool clothes and layers were going to be very useful.” They started their bike trip with a few layers of different weighted woollen Crossing one of the many rivers in northern Mexico. Heading towards Copper Canyon, Mexico. These were hot days so lightweight wool T-shirts were perfect for this part of the world. garments and thermals. The products proved to be exceptional in all weather conditions, particularly when layering was essential in the extreme cold weather they endured in the Alaskan Tundra and down in Patagonia. In these harsh cold conditions woollen garments of different micron grades were combined with wind breakers to maintain the optimum body core temperature. Through the deserts of America and rivers of Mexico, deep in the jungles of Central America and through tobacco plantations of Cuba, the two guys on two bikes overcame heat, humidity and perspiration thanks to Merino wool. When actual washing machines are few and far between, and running creeks and rivers provide the ultimate laundry service, both Mike and Maxi were pleased and amazed at how Merino wool does not smell after strenuous exercise. “On large adventures when you have days and days when you can’t wash your clothes, Merino woollen apparel holds off the stink factor for a lot longer than other fibres,” Mike said. “We found we could go for days – even weeks – before washing them in a river; even the woollen undies were awesome. “The biggest challenge when riding is that you sweat a lot, even if it is raining or quite cold. Finding the right combination of clothing may take some trial and error but regardless of the temperature the first layer was always something made from lightweight wool. The lightest garment we had was about 140/150gsm and these worked well even in the extreme heat. “With all the range in weights that are available in Merino woollen apparel there is always going to be an appropriate garment to wear regardless of the activity.” Cycling had not always been a passion for Mike; in fact, a bike was merely a means of getting from A to B. “I used to ride my bike to primary school,” Mike said. “That little bike actually made it onto the stage of a school assembly when I was in Year 5. The local police were doing a talk on bike safety awareness and mine was there as an example of how not to maintain one’s bike!” Fortunately, Mike said his bike maintenance skills improved during the two-year adventure, which is lucky since changing a tyre is one thing Merino wool could not do for the boys. But as they pedalled along a 30,000 kilometre track, both Mike and Maxi found comfort and security from the few clothes they were carrying – all of which were made from Merino wool. 24 on-farm December 2010 2012 September Beyond the the Bale Bale Beyond Fast facts Trading low productivity for high protection lE verGraze Supporting Site host Rick Robertson from East Gippsland, Victoria has used saltbush to transform his saline flats to a productive area, ideal for lambing ewes. l Shrub hedgerows have been successfully used to produce feed and shelter in otherwise unproductive, saline soils. l Wind chill measurements taken at lambing revealed the hedgerows reduced the number of times the wind chill reached high-risk levels. East Gippsland Merino producer Rick Robertson with saltbush hedgerows at the Bengworden EverGraze Supporting Site. establishing saltbush I n an effort to improve low-lying unproductive saline land and provide lambing shelter, Victorian woolgrower Rick Robertson has established saltbush. During spring 2004, Rick chose a 16ha trial site on the lakeside flats, less than 1500 metres from the shores of Lake Victoria. This site was split into a 10ha treatment block and a 6ha control block. The control block was covered in mainly native grasses, tussocks and weeds and was left untouched. The treatment block was disced and cross ripped. Dolomite was applied at a rate of one tonne per hectare and incorporated with a second cultivation. To maximise shelter for lambs, the saltbush was established as hedgerow windbreaks, aligned north to south, with 4.5 metre spacing between the rows. Six hectares of the treatment block were sown to Atriplex nummularis (oldman saltbush), Atriplex nummularis cv De Kock (De Kock) and Rhagodia candolleana (seaberry saltbush), at a rate of 2700 seedlings per hectare, planted with a lettuce planter hired from a local vegetable grower, and costing $1000/ha. The remaining four hectares of the treatment block were sown with oldman saltbush seed, at a cost of $150/ha for seed, using a borrowed homemade saltbush seeder. Both the seeds and seedlings established well, and while the seedlings were faster to establish, there was little difference between the two techniques after two years. The plants were left untouched for the first 12 months, reaching an average height of one metre. The plants were dense and multi-stemmed, producing a significant quantity of leaf material. Grazing benefits The saltbush certainly achieved the aim of bringing a previously unproductive site back into production, providing significantly more grazing days than the neighbouring, unimproved control block. “We found the adult sheep adapted quickly to saltbush as a feed source and that they could maintain their body condition during general feed shortages. This reduced the time and money we spent on supplementary feeding. Lambs were more difficult to introduce onto the saltbush, as they preferred the grasses in the inter-row areas,” Rick explained. “The result was that the 10ha of saltbush improved the overall carrying capacity of the farm, adding value to it as an asset.” Combating wind chill To determine the protective value of the saltbush, as part of an EverGraze Supporting Site, Rick decided to carry out a simple demonstration using two flocks of lambing ewes to compare weaning percentages on the saltbush paddocks with the unimproved site. The Supporting Site was complemented by concurrent trials performed by Darren Hickey, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, who used equipment to measure the difference in wind chill between saltbush hedgerows and unsheltered areas. The results for the saltbush hedgerows were again encouraging, and showed that the hedgerows were effective in reducing the number of wind chill events and chill days during lambing periods (see Table 1 below). “The hedgerows reduced the occurrence of wind chill events by up to 90 per cent compared with the open paddocks,” Rick said, “although this did not translate into significant marking rate increases in the study years, which had few severe wind chill days.” More information: The full case study is available on the EverGraze website www.evergraze.com.au TABLE 1. Number of wind chill events (where heat loss exceeded 1000kJ/m2/hour) 2010 2011 Sheltered, hedgerow site (best across sites) 330 640 Open, unprotected site 3292 1615 Percentage reduction 90% 60% selling more on-farm wool December 2012 Photo: Darren Hickey, DPI Victoria. Beyond the Bale East Gippsland producer Rick Robertson and other local producers inspect seaberry saltbush, one of two species of forage shrubs sown Photo: Darren Hickey, DPI Victoria. on the trial site to provide feed and shelter for lambing Merinos. Anemometers were placed among the saltbush hedgerows on the 25 The EverGraze program has been developing and testing new farming systems in different environments across the high rainfall zone of southern Australia. The program’s aim is to increase profits of sheep and cattle enterprises and at the same time improve water management, use of perennials, biodiversity and soil health. Six research teams at EverGraze Proof Sites in three states have been testing innovative grazing and livestock production systems to determine their impact on environmental outcomes and farm profitability. A network of Supporting Sites is associated with each Proof Site allowing groups of producers to try new grazing practices and perennial systems under ‘real farming’ conditions. EverGraze is an AWI, Future Farm Industries CRC, and Meat & Livestock Australia research and delivery partnership. The Victorian Supporting Sites are funded by Caring for our Country through Central Highlands Agribusiness Forum (CHAF). AWI has invested in EverGraze since 2007. Between 2007 and 2011 AWI contributed $3.5 million to the Evergraze project out of a total of $22 million by all parties. The net payoff to farmers successfully adopting Evergraze recommendations is estimated to be up to $50 per hectare. To capitalise on R&D outcomes achieved from 2007 to 2011, AWI is supporting Evergraze Phase VI (for 2011/12 and 2012/13) which seeks to increase adoption of Evergraze practices. AWI’s investment over the two years is $1.4million out of a total investment by all parties of $2.8million. More information: www.evergraze.com.au View a video about the EverGraze program at www.youtube.com/awiwoolproduction trial site, to measure and record wind speed at 10-minute intervals. New WormBoss website W ormBoss has been a favourite with sheep producers since it was launched in 2005 and now it is even better. Following a major upgrade funded by AWI and the Sheep CRC, www.wormboss. com.au is now hosted by the Sheep CRC and has many new, improved and easy to use features. The aim of WormBoss is to reduce unnecessary drenching and minimise the onset of drench resistance while increasing animal productivity and profitability. WormBoss offers real help for producers with drenching decisions, and provides regional Drench Decision Guides, regional worm control programs, and a substantial library of information on worm control. Free monthly email alerts about worms in your region One of the most useful features of WormBoss is the free monthly WormBoss News email newsletter that provides access website (www.flyboss.org.au) also hosted by the Sheep CRC. The LiceBoss website (www.liceboss.com.au) will also be transferred in due course to provide growers with an interrelated suite of parasite control websites with the best information and the most cost efficient management into the future. to the latest regional worm outlook from around Australia and feature articles. Content is coordinated by a technical committee of sheep parasitologists from WA, Queensland, NSW, SA, Victoria and Tasmania, and features input from private More information: www.wormboss.com.au veterinarians and consultants and government veterinarians from around Australia. To subscribe, click the Subscribe to WormBoss icon on the home page and fill in your details. If you have previously subscribed to the WormBoss News email newsletter you will continue to be sent the newsletter, but if you are no longer receiving it then please contact WormBoss through the feedback section at the bottom of the home page of the new website. The WormBoss website complements the FlyBoss A screenshot of the new WormBoss website. 26 on-farm December 2010 2012 September Beyond Beyond the the Bale Bale Young guns tackle climate variability Woolgrowers James Walker, Kathleen Allen and James Hegarty, who will link researchers and producers through the Climate Champion program. Fast facts PROGRAM OUTLINE JOINING THE CHARGE l AWI has recently given three young woolgrowers the opportunity to join the national Climate Champion program, giving them direct access to the latest R&D results on climate variability. l The Climate Champion program uses producers to link the latest research findings to on-farm management practices. l Each Young Climate Champion grower is already adapting their management in response to climate variability, but is keen to learn and do more. In broad terms, the Climate Champion program aims to get climate-related research information out to the agricultural community, by recruiting those who are most likely to be adopting tools and practices to help them better manage their climate. In turn, the Climate Champion participants are expected to feed information from farmers back to researchers, about what farmers need to better manage climate risk on their properties. For the AWI Young Climate Champion woolgrowers, much of what they will do under the program involves showcasing to their peers the practices and farming systems they already use to manage climate variability and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. They will also be expected to review draft climate-related research outputs and tools relevant to their location and farming system, and draft communication products such as fact sheets and website materials to ensure they meet the needs of their fellow farmers. These young producers will also have the opportunity to contribute their own ideas to those businesses developing new climate management tools and technologies. Recently recruited Young Climate Champion grower James Walker runs 15,000 sheep under semi-arid conditions near Longreach and Isisford in central Queensland. Over his two properties, covering 36,500ha in total, James expects to receive 150-380mm of rain each year, and has therefore modified his production practices to account for climatic and seasonal variability. “We have adapted our management by revamping our livestock watering system. We have now provided watering points for our sheep only 1-1.5km apart, using 62km of poly pipe and 40 new troughs to do it,” Mr Walker said. “We have also begun to harvest grass during times of peak production, to capture feed quality while it is available – we made 1000 tonnes of hay this year.” When the 2012 Nuffield Scholar was asked about his interest in the Climate Champion program, he was quick to point out the benefits of addressing climate variability. “It’s important to create best practices within the industry, as adopting on-ground activities to address climate variability has a beneficial impact on farmer productivity. “Addressing climate variability and lifting agribusiness productivity go hand D uring September 2012, AWI began funding young woolgrowers James Walker, James Hegarty and Kathleen Allen to become Young Climate Champion woolgrowers. All three producers are under the age of 40 and are passionate about wool production and keen to step up in the industry. The Climate Champion program has already recruited 34 other Australian farmers from a variety of enterprises, recognising them as leading producers particularly interested in managing climate variability. Beyond the Bale in hand; once we realise this, developing agricultural systems and resource accountability will become synonymous.” USING FORECASTS James Hegarty is also from Longreach, where he runs 9000 wool and meat sheep and agistment cattle on his 13,500ha property. He is keen to learn all he can about the technologies available to predict seasonal conditions. “With the rising costs involved with farming, and the need to run a profitable business every year regardless of the season, we need to plan ahead using the latest technologies,” Mr Hegarty said. “If we can predict these things like periods of above or below-average rainfall, we can come up with a plan for the year and budget for dry times.” Mr Hegarty and his family currently use a satellite internet service to monitor a variety of weather-related websites and adapt their farming practices according to predictions. “If it looks like it’s going to be a dry year, we will buy grain when it's cheap and store it in silos so we are ready when the dry comes. “We also look carefully at short-term forecasts as we have a lot of creek systems on our property. Website forecasts usually give us enough time to move stock off the creeks to prevent them from drowning if a big wet is predicted.” For the past 50 years, Mr Hegarty and his family have kept rainfall records for their entire property, with each paddock having its own gauge that is recorded each time it rains. “This information is very useful in determining rainfall patterns, although I would like to learn about combining these records with other data to increase its usefulness and accuracy in predicting seasonal conditions in this area.” SOUTHERN INFLUENCE Even in higher rainfall areas of Australia, woolgrowers such as the third Young Climate Champion grower Kathleen Allen are aware understanding climate trends is crucial for their future production and enterprise survival. “Extension activities and communicating the latest scientific research in the area of climate variability is critical, so farmers can make informed decisions about their management practices and change them if appropriate,” she said. selling more on-farm wool “Climatic conditions impact on soil health and pasture production, which directly affects the sustainability of our operations.” Kathleen runs 830 superfine Merino wool sheep over two properties totalling 205ha near Yass in central NSW. These properties receive 625–650mm of rainfall each year. She already uses climate predictions as part of her farm management, and has adapted her practices accordingly. “We make decisions such as stocking rate and the timing of grazing based on pasture availability and recovery, which depends on rainfall and growing season. “Over the past 12 years, we have moved from a set-stocking program to a more rotational grazing model. 27 “Under this system, the stocking density is higher but for shorter periods, and is matched to pasture availability. “This has allowed us to better manage our native pastures. “We have also incorporated a program of rye-based pastures into a number of paddocks and have undertaken extensive erosion control and tree planting works to ensure ground cover and shelter throughout the property. “We carefully manage weeds to maximise pasture productivity and reduce competition, especially during drier periods.” More information: Sarah Cole, Manager, Climate Champion program, (07) 3846 7111, [email protected] LEARNING FROM THE LOCALS Photo: Simone Christie, Buloke Times December 2012 James Walker (second from left) and James Hegarty (right) discuss local production issues with Victorian producers David Drage and David Smith at a recent Climate Champion workshop. During October, the Climate Champion program descended on the Victorian towns of Birchip and Horsham, to hear from local researchers and farmers about how they are adapting to climate variability. The program participants toured the Birchip Cropping Group’s crop trials, the Free-Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) project and the Australian Temperate Field Crops seedbank collection, run by the Department of Primary Industries, Horsham. This gave program participants the opportunity to explore climate management issues in more depth. Local farmers David Smith (Birchip), David Drage (Warracknabeal), Susan Findlay Tickner (Horsham) and Ian McClelland (Birchip) also hosted farm visits and talked about the practice changes they have made over the years to their sheep and cropping operations. “The most valuable thing is talking to different growers in different areas, and learning from them how they have adapted to climate conditions,” said one Climate Champion producer. The Climate Champion program participants also met with Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) climate experts Andrew Watkins and Oscar Alves. These scientists discussed multiweek and seasonal forecasting, as well as climate tools, with the participants. In turn, many producers suggested a phone app that shows BOM climate and weather information would be an invaluable tool. 28 on-farm selling more wool December 2010 2012 September Beyond Beyond the the Bale Bale AWI 2013 Fast facts Nuffield scholar M atthew Ipsen, from Wareek in Victoria, has been awarded the prestigious 2013 Nuffield Scholarship supported by AWI. He will use his scholarship to investigate world’s best practice in sheep reproduction and lamb survival. Mr Ipsen is a director of a private agricultural company with his parents and together they own and operate an 820ha property in central Victoria, consisting of 3000 sheep and 400ha of crop. The major enterprise is wool production along with sheep meat, hay and cereals. They also own and manage a Merino sheep stud and contract harvest business. As well as working on the farm, Mr Ipsen runs a small business in sheep artificial insemination (AI) and pregnancy scanning. It is this business mix that has prompted Mr Ipsen to focus on the reproductive performance of sheep through his Nuffield scholarship. “Australian lamb marking percentages have barely increased in the past 30 years, creating opportunities for producers to improve profitability, put greater selection pressure on reproductive and production rates, as well as counter animal ethical issues by improving the survivability of lambs,” he explains. Mr Ipsen hopes to improve the survivability of lambs, and in particular twin-born lambs, in the first 48 hours of life. “I am hoping by studying intensive housing of sheep and different feeding systems, both indoors and paddock systems, I may be able to improve the health of pregnant ewes allowing them to birth without difficulties. “I am also looking to gain an understanding of how Australian producers can improve on current conception rates and build on management systems that will allow for increases in litter size,” he says. Mr Ipsen is planning on visiting New Zealand, Europe, the USA and South Africa to conduct his research. “Australian Wool Innovation is proud to continue its partnership with Nuffield Australia through a wool scholarship. Matthew has shown commitment to the wool industry and undertaking a Nuffield Scholarship is the natural next step for l Matthew Ipsen, from Wareek in Victoria, has been awarded a 2013 Nuffield Scholarship supported by AWI to investigate world’s best practice in sheep reproduction and lamb survival adjustments for various sized sheep. l Mr Ipsen hopes his studies will help improve and the survivability of lambs, and in particular twin-born lambs, in the first 48 hours of life. l He is also looking to gain an understanding of how Australian producers can improve on current conception rates and build on management systems that will allow for increases in litter size. him,” says Dr Jane Littlejohn, Head of On-Farm RD&E. “His study topic is very relevant and will no doubt enable him to compare best practice from around the world,” she concluded. Nuffield Australia is an organisation which provides an opportunity to Australian farmers to travel overseas on an agricultural research scholarship. It is a 16-week program consisting of both group and individual travel. More information: Nuffield Australia Farming Scholars website: www.nuffield.com.au Matthew Ipsen: [email protected] REcent AWI Nuffield woolgrower scholars • • • • • • 2012 – James Walker, Longreach, Queensland. James is currently studying if the multiple reproductive cycle trait of ewes can be capitalised to speed up the lamb-to-lamb interval using real-time, remote weight and health management. 2011 – James Robertson, Renmark, South Australia. James studied animal nutrition, focussing on weaning and feedlotting. 2009 – David Cussons, Kojunup, Western Australia. Report: “Talking agriculture a study of communication techniques and approaches to crisis communication”. 2008 – Ben Ranford, Cleve, South Australia. Report: “The role of farmer collaboration in creating supply solutions”. 2007 – James Walker, Carrick, Tasmania. Report: “Wool and sheep production in the global market”. 2007 – Andrew Bouffler, Lockhart, NSW. Report: “How to fully utilise and rapidly improve the Australian maternal ewe flock (including Merinos) to ensure continuity of supply into our valuable meat and wool markets”. More information: The reports are available on the Nuffield International Farming Scholars website www.nuffieldinternational.org PHOTO: Lachy Steed, Maryborough Advertiser Recent AWI Nuffield woolgrower scholars and their study areas or report titles are: Woolgrower Matthew Ipsen from Wareek in Victoria has been awarded a 2013 Nuffield Scholarship supported by AWI. selling more on-farm wool December 2012 Beyond the Bale 29 Baiting helps wild dog control Fast facts l AWI-funded community baiting coordinators are helping sheep producers and communities tackle the wild dog problem. l The coordinators help deliver training, bait supply, technical support and coordination of land managers. l Sheep producer Craig Lloyd from Ensay, Victoria says a collaborative approach by the baiting coordinator and the farming community is helping reduce dog numbers in his locality. C raig Lloyd is a sheep producer from the high country area at Ensay in East Gippsland. He is one of several landholders in the area who are active in combating wild dog predation and encouraging the local community join in their initiatives. Craig says the local community’s activities, assisted with funding from AWI, have resulted in a reduction in dog numbers and lower incidence of predation on his own property and neighbouring properties. “The impact of dogs on our farm enterprises is not as significant as it once was, which is enabling us to get on with the business of raising sheep,” he says. “It wasn’t uncommon to see packs of six or seven dogs walking across your paddock. But things have really quietened down for now – which is good for the stock, and the local wildlife. It has also alleviated a lot of the stress that producers have been feeling about stock losses. “AWI’s support for dog control has been extremely useful in the Ensay area. Brian Dowley, the AWI-funded community baiting coordinator, helps facilitate the baiting. For Sheep producer Craig Lloyd (left foreground) and Community Baiting Coordinator Brian Dowley (centre) with Bestwool/Bestlamb Chairman Jason Trompf (right) at a meeting of the Ensay Bestwool/Bestlamb group that Craig facilitates. instance he ensures the correct number of baits are supplied and distributed. It’s important that the baits are on the ground across a large baiting area within the same 24 hours – this helps increase the chance that dogs within an area will take a bait. Collaboration with neighbouring and local farmers is vital. “The funding for the actual baits and trap kits by AWI has been a real boost. The funding acts as an incentive for farmers to get involved. Trapping remains an important part to pick up dogs that the baits don’t get. We’ve been having a lot of success with reducing the number of foxes too." Craig knows that to make good progress against wild dogs, landholders should have an ongoing, integrated approach to wild dog prevention. “Baiting is just part of an effective control strategy,” he says. “Other important considerations include competent wild dog controllers, shooting and trapping. Well maintained electric fences are also an effective means of keeping out the dogs – they enable me to sleep better at night. “I know that some people in other areas outside of Ensay have traditionally been a bit skeptical about baiting – but by introducing it as a complement to other control methods hopefully they’ll begin to see its value.” Craig is also a coordinator for his local Bestwool/Bestlamb group. “Initiatives such as Bestwool/ Bestlamb – also funded by AWI – provide a complementary role to the on-ground activity by keeping producers focussed on their business. It’s important to keep the dog problem in perspective – killing dogs is just a means to an end, we make our money by raising sheep. “This is a great region for sheep, but the wild dog problem over the years drove many farmers to turn to cattle. There used to be about 25-30,000 sheep in the area, but numbers fell to about 3000. Now with reduced dog numbers, there is a real potential for farmers to come back to sheep, which they can make good money out of in a region like this.” Baiting coordinator Brian Dowley is part of the AWI’s wild dog project in Victoria which involved the establishment of coordinators in the wild dog affected areas of Gippsland and the north east of the state. “I am here to help producers develop cooperative programs that will provide long term benefits,” Brian says. “Coordinated baiting programs are an effective, proven model for the management of wild dogs across Australia. The communities affected by wild dogs within this project will benefit from an organised program of locally delivered 1080 training and accreditation, bait supply, on-going technical support and coordination of all land managers to achieve effective wild dog management.” AWI’s wild dog project in Victoria complements similar AWI projects under way in NSW, Queensland and South Australia. More information: www.wool.com/pestanimals THE OJD MENACE IS A THREAT TO YOUR FLOCK Vaccination with Gudair has been highly successful in protecting many flocks, but Ovine Johne’s disease is still threatening properties all across Australia. Safety vaccinator. Now available. If OJD gets onto your property, your sheep will slowly waste away, destroying your bottom line and limiting your trade opportunities. Due to the persistent nature of OJD bacteria, it’s important to keep up your Gudair vaccination program. In fact, experience shows that OJD can re-appear if vaccination is stopped. So give one dose to lambs at 4–16 weeks and protect them for life. For more information on how to protect your flock, talk to your Pfizer Sheep Product Specialist on 1800 814 883. Sheep Health. Performance. Growth. Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd, 38-42 Wharf Road, West Ryde, NSW 2114. ABN 50 008 422 348. ® Registered Trademark of Pfizer Australia. 06/12 PAL0724/BB. VACCINATE LAMBS WITH selling more on-farm wool December 2012 Beyond the Bale 31 Shearing competition support Fast facts l A WI is providing support to shearing competitions at local, state and national levels. l The aim is promote excellence and encourage better techniques in shearing and woolhandling. l AWI supported the National Championships and Trans-Tasman Tests that were held at the Warrnambool Show at the end of October. A WI provides support for shearing and woolhandling competitions across the country, with the main aims of promoting excellence within the shearing industry, and to encourage young people to join the industry. Support is being provided to local and regional competitions that are affiliated with, or offer a clear pathway to, the state and national competitions conducted by Sports Shear Australia Association – the internationally recognised body representing shearing industry competitions in Australia. About 40-50 competitions take place across Australia each year, with over 90 per cent affiliated (directly or indirectly) with Sports Shear. AWI Program Manager for Shearing and Industry Development Ian Evans says AWI is keen to raise the profile and status of the shearing industry by enabling participation in well conducted shearing and woolhandling competitions. “Competitions help encourage better techniques in shearing and woolhandling, which is for the benefit of the woolgrowing industry from which they derive", he said. "AWI’s support aims to encourage a quality workforce, an interest in wool, and an appreciation of the art and skill of shearers and woolhandlers." “AWI’s financial support for competitions makes a significant impact on the viability of many competitions. In addition to supporting local and regional competitions, AWI also provides support to competitions at state and national levels." Angela Wakely from NSW competing at the National Woolhandling Championships. Angela came 2nd in the Final, qualifying her as a member of the Australian Team, along with fellow NSW Team member Kayla Garner. Photo: Aimee Snowden NATIONAL SHEARING AND WOOLHANDLING CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS The National Championships, held at the Warrnambool Show at the end of October, were supported by AWI. A Trans-Tasman Test was also held. The results were: NATIONAL SHEARING FINAL NATIONAL WOOLHANDLING FINAL NATIONAL BLADES FINAL 1. Shannon Warnest (SA) 1 Kayla Garner (NSW) 1 John Dalla (SA) 2 Justin Dolphin (SA) 2 Angela Wakely (NSW) 2 Peter Artridge (NSW) 3 Robbie Glover (Tas) 3 Jessica Whatley (Tas) 3 Ken French (Vic) 4 Wayne Hosie (NSW) 4 Michelle Walker (Tas 4 Nick Denniss (NSW) 5 Daniel McIntyre (NSW) 5 Mat Stasinowsky (SA) 5 Richie Foster (Vic) 6 Roger Mifsud (Vic) 6 Sarah Moran (Vic) 6 Garry Griffin (Vic) National Team Finals (combined shearing and woolhandling results) 1 South Australia 2 New South Wales 3 Tasmania TRANS -TASMAN SHEARING TEST TRANS-TASMAN WOOLHANDING TEST TRANS-TASMAN BLADES TEST 1. Australia 1 Australia 1 New Zealand 2 New Zealand 2 New Zealand 2 Australia More information: AWI has produced a video of the shearing and woolhandling competitions at the National Championships, which includes interviews with participants and plenty of action from the boards. To view the video, go to www.youtube.com/awiwoolproduction 32 on-farm December 2010 2012 September Beyond Beyond the the Bale Bale Shed upgrade a 'shear delight' Stuart Mitchell outside the shed at ‘Cashel Vale’, Queenland. Fast facts l S tuart and Ba Mitchell from Bollon Queensland upgraded their shed over a period of years to help spread the costs l The Mitchells wanted to create the best working environment they could for shearers, to improve the shed’s efficiency and produce a better clip. l Mr Mitchell says obtaining input from shearing contractors and regular shearers into the redevelopment was important to ensure success. W oolgrower Stuart Mitchell says creating a good working environment is critical to attracting and retaining shearers, and has the added benefit of improving the shearing operation. “The shearing shed on our property was built in the 1950s and while it had ‘good bones’, parts of it were in need of an upgrade and we could see an opportunity to make a number of improvements. “The design and layout weren’t working nearly as well as they could for us. Everything was bolted down, which meant there was no flexibility to shift the configuration to meet the needs of the shearing team each season. “A good example is this year, where we had a lot of seed in the wool following a wet season. The wool handlers needed more time to work with the wool, and having everything fixed in place would have made it much more difficult.” APPROACH Around 10 years ago the Mitchells started planning upgrades to the shed to bring it into the twenty first century. Having been in many a shearing shed, Mr Mitchell had a clear idea of the changes he wanted to make, which he tested with his shearing contractor and regular shearers “I think talking to the shearers beforehand was critical,” he says. “While I felt I had a good understanding of what was needed and would make a difference, it’s the shearers that use the shed and their input is invaluable." In planning the improvements, Mr Mitchell wanted to address the following elements in the shed’s design and layout: 1. Good lighting – This is important for shearing and critical for wool classing. 2. Work space flexibility – Having a modular design means the layout can be adjusted to meet the changing needs of the shearing team. 3. Health and safety – Providing a safe work environment is a necessity, but addressing health and safety considerations can also make day to day work easier on the team and help to improve the longevity of shearers’ careers. 4. Equipment – Having modern equipment in good working order helps to maximise the number of sheep shorn daily. While good airflow is essential in keeping the shed cool, this was working well and wasn’t something the Mitchells needed to improve. Proper lighting in the shed is especially important for wool classers. on-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale 33 “We wanted to create the best working environment we could for shearers, knowing that if we achieved this, we could improve the shed’s efficiency overall and arguably produce a better clip.” STUART MITCHELL White walls improve lighting and help keep the shed cool. IMPLEMENTATION The Mitchells made the majority of changes over three years and have continued to make small improvements each year. This staggered approach enabled them to budget for and spread the costs over several seasons. The first year was focused on modernising equipment essential to the shearing operation and involved replacing the original 1950s shaft driven gear with electric equipment. The Mitchells saw this as the most important step in enhancing the working environment for shearers, safety-wise and efficiency-wise. Swings were also installed for the harnesses, helping to reduce the strain and stress on shearers, meaning they work more comfortably throughout the day and pull up better the following day. In the second year the Mitchells invested in better lighting to enhance conditions for the wool handlers, classer and shearers. Proper lighting enables the wool handlers to work more efficiently in moving fleeces across the table without straining their eyes. It also gives shearers a clearer view of the sheep being shorn, helping work towards a better clip. In the third year, the Mitchells painted the inside of the shed white to enhance the new lighting that had been installed the year before, the reflection brightening all working areas of the shed. Shearers in the shed also say that having the shed painted white makes it cooler, with heat possibly reflected off the roof and exterior walls which are also painted a light colour. In the same year, Mr Mitchell also set about custom making modular bins for the wool that sit on runners and can be easily moved around the boards. In the years following, while the Mitchells were working on gaining green tick accreditation for Cashel Vale, occupational health and safety (OH&S) improvements were implemented, including the installation of safety rails and signage, the reduction in fire hazards, and the inclusion of well-marked fire extinguishers and first aid kits for emergency situations. INVESTMENT Investment in shed infrastructure has been made over a decade, enabling money to be spent in line with farm cash flow and be broken down into a per head figure for the flock. “In the past ten years for every sheep that we’ve shorn in this shed we’ve spent approximately 40 to 70 cents on safety, equipment and maintenance improvements,” Mr Mitchell says. “The big ticket item was running underground power to the shed, which cost us approximately $20,000 to install. Replacing the old shaft driven gear was $12,000 and the biggest improvement we made for the shearers. “Painting the inside of the shed was reasonably inexpensive and we were able to build the modular bins and safety railings ourselves on-farm, saving money. "Signage was a reasonable cost, though we managed that by making purchases over time rather than all at once.” Mr Mitchell says that measuring return on investment can be difficult in monetary terms; however improved efficiencies and safety have made the investment worthwhile. “We wanted to create the best working environment we could for shearers, knowing that if we achieved this, we could improve the shed’s efficiency overall and arguably produce a better clip. “We have a really happy shed and the same guys are back every year. Having an above-average shed for the area also means we can expect an above-average job at shearing time.” More information: The full case study and video featuring the Mitchell’s shed are available at www.bestprac.info AWI’s shearing shed guidelines are available on the AWI website at www.wool.com/sheds Having work space flexibility and modern Modular bins which can be easily moved help create a equipment were essential to the shed’s upgrade. flexible work environment. 34 on-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale New shed developed from scratch Fast facts l P araway Pastoral has built a new shearing shed on its Steam Plains Station, located 35km north east of Conargo in NSW, to replace the former 110 year old shed. l The company needed a shed that would support shearing 40,000 sheep every six months. l The new shed has a working environment that is safe, efficient, functional and enjoyable, which has also resulted in improved woolhandling and clip preparation. S hearing is a big undertaking at Paraway Pastoral’s Steam Plains Station, located 35km north east of Conargo in NSW. The 47,000ha property runs approximately 40,000 sheep, which are shorn twice a year. When Paraway Pastoral acquired Steam Plains, the existing shearing shed was well over 110 years old and in a state of disrepair, so a decision was made to build a new shed. Magnus Aitken has been the property manager at Steam Plains for six years and he led the project from start to finish. While planning for the new shed began in 2006, Magnus Aitken, property manager "Steam Plains", standing in the shed built in 2010 by Paraway Pastoral. the severe drought reduced sheep numbers and meant that the final design was not completed until 2010. Mr Aitken says he wanted to have a shed that was functional and efficient for shearers and for Paraway. “Attracting and retaining shearers is one of the biggest challenges facing woolgrowers and the industry,” Mr Aitken says. “Shearing should be no different to any other industry and we have a responsibility to provide good working conditions, as you would expect in any workplace." SHED DESIGN Horseshoe design With so many sheep to be shorn every six months, Mr Aitken wanted to ensure that shearing could get completed in four weeks. This meant there needed to be ten shearing stations, plus an eleventh to support a left handed shearer who is part of their regular team. A horseshoe layout is efficient because it keeps the shed together, with the shearing stands surrounding the classing tables in the middle. The furthest distance from the board to a table is about six to eight steps. Utilising gravity Raised boards make for easy woolhandling. The shed incorporates features that use gravity to the shearing team’s advantage. This approach means a shed that operates on three levels. A raised board, along with the catching pens, makes up the top level. The catching on-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale pens are slightly sloped, with the wooden grating running lengthways. The sheep naturally stand facing away from the pen doors, with their heads ‘uphill’. When the shearers enter to drag a sheep out for shearing, they are already facing in the right direction and are simply tipped and dragged downhill, making the process efficient and easier on the shearer. The shed hands work one level lower on the classing and sorting floor. This means they don’t have to bend down to pick up the wool. The raised board allows shed hands to lean in to collect the fleece with minimal strain on the back. The raised board also ensures that shed hands are in good position to remove any stained wool as it comes off the sheep, without interfering with the shearer. The bins are on casters and once full can be rolled over to the edge of the floor and tipped into the wool bin on the level below for baling. Sheep are loaded into the shed at the upper level and once shorn, they move down the chutes to a holding area below where they can be drenched, vaccinated, etc. Enough space There is more than the minimum required amount of distance between each shearing station, creating enough space for the shearers and shed hands to easily move around and do their jobs. The shearing platform is also wider than usual, allowing shearers to move sheep around easily if they are having any hassles, without disturbing their neighbour. It also allows enough space for fleeces to be partskirted on the board as the shed hands are going past. 35 Bins on casters make for easy movement around the High quality facilities for the shearing team at Steam shearing shed. Plains. Facilities environment, you get the most out of people and as a result a better job at the end of the day,” Mr Aitken says. “Our woolhandling and clip preparation is probably around 50 per cent better than what it was, and that’s enormous. The feedback we get from the people buying our wool is that the clip preparation is first class.” The response from shearers, shed hands and contractors has also been overwhelmingly positive. “The feedback we get is that it’s a great environment to work in. If you provide good conditions for people they appreciate that you value the work they are doing. That’s what it’s all about.” Paraway has also invested in high quality facilities beyond the shearing shed that form an important part of the workplace environment. The shearers’ huts, bathroom and kitchen facilities have been rebuilt to a high standard. Health and safety Health and safety considerations underpinned much of the shed design and elements that were incorporated in the build. In addition to the elements outlined above, this also included the height and width of the shearing board and classing tables, placement of equipment, multidirectional design of the gates in the catching pens, safety railings, warning signs, mounting points for the use of harnesses and so on. RESULTS “By creating an enjoyable work More information: The full case study and video featuring the Steam Plains shed are available at www.bestprac.info AWI’s shearing shed guidelines are at www.wool.com/sheds Lighting Getting the lighting right took some work. Mr Aitken wanted to create a natural light to aid in wool classing. He also wanted to prevent shadows being cast when shearers were leaning over the sheep or in any way over the wool classing tables. This made the bulbs, type of lights and their placement all-important in achieving the desired effect. Airflow There are Riverina shutters along the length of the walls, and the shed is a couple of meters off the ground, which encourage airflow. Fans are located across the boards to keep the team and the sheep cool. The ceiling is also slanted, with openings in the roof ridge that allow the hot air to escape. With a horseshoe layout, the furthest distance from the board to a table is about six to eight steps. 36 on-farm December 2010 2012 September Beyond Beyond the the Bale Bale Sheep handling innovations Fast facts lS heepConnect SA supported by AWI has coordinated and undertaken farm innovation days to promote sheep handling innovations. l The events focused on labour saving opportunities to increase profits within the sheep business. l The events included working demonstrations of the latest sheep handling machinery and innovations. David Willersdorf demonstrates the capabilities of the Racewell sheep handler to producers at the Cummins Farm Innovations Day. S heep producers on the Eyre Peninsula and Mallee of South Australia have attended Farm Innovation Days to get ideas on ways to improve on-farm infrastructure and management practices within their sheep businesses. Run by the AWI state network SheepConnect SA, the events aimed to increase sheep producers’ knowledge and understanding of how to reduce labour and lift profits. A total of 624 producers and industry stakeholders attended seven events – mostly hosted by local sheep producers – in Murray Town, Coomandook, Turretfield, Willalooka (completed in April 2012) and Lameroo, Cummins and Cleve (completed October 2012). The events consisted of a series of presentations in the morning covering issues relevant to improving the sheep enterprise and labour saving options, followed in the afternoon by practical demonstrations of the latest range of machinery and innovation displays for sheep management. The innovations included auto drafters and weighers, sheep handlers, auto jetters, shearing equipment, BioClip, sheep crutchers, pregnancy scanning, Pedigree Matchmaker, and electronic identification systems. As the events were hosted on-farm, sheep were used to demonstrate the practical application of the innovations. There were also displays from Natural Resources Management Boards, Agriresellers, AWI, PIRSA Biosecurity SA, National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS) and animal health companies. Speakers included agribusiness consultant Ken Solly of Solly Business Services who discussed labour efficiencies and costing out of infrastructure improvements for sheep enterprises. Jason Trompf of JT Agri-source presented on easy care and productive sheep and their management. Brendan Loechel of farm equipment manufacturer Magnus Australia informed the audience what to look for when considering investing in a new shearing shed or sheep yards and how to decide whether to modify existing set-ups or consider a new design. Mr Loechel says new innovations in sheep yard and shed design can assist producers to make the job of working with sheep a lot easier. "The yard and shed designs of today include all the latest technologies which are so much better than before," Mr Loechel said. "The new designs are more focused on saving time. You know the job that you need to do, and you want to be able to just get in and do it. Most yards are designed now so that they can be operated as a one man and a dog team." Wool producer Don Baillie from Tumby Bay on the Eyre Peninsula attended the Turretfield event in April to get design ideas for renovating his shearing shed and yards, plus he was interested in sheep handling equipment. “We were keen to introduce raised boards to our shed and wanted to get opinions on the most appropriate height and depth of the board, and information on drop chutes,” Mr Baillie said. “It was very useful to talk to people at the innovation day about their experience and get their views. We also benefited from hearing about options for yard designs. “I also attended the Cummins event with my son Julian. We enjoyed the day immensely and as a result of attending were motivated enough to take action to make working with sheep easier on our property. “The renovation of our shed is now complete and we’ve had new yards built. We’ve had our first shearing, and we’re pleased that our investment in the shed and yards is making our sheep handling and our shearing operation easier and more efficient.” More information: www.sheepconnectsa.com.au 37 DEAD FAST. DEAD EASY. Extinosad® Pour-On is Australia’s largest selling lice control for sheep. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Knockdown control of lice Kills resistant strains1 Off-shears, long wool and unshorn lambs Nil wool WHP and minimal ESI Low volume, water based formulation For more information contact your reseller or Elanco Animal Health on 1800 226 324 or visit www.deadfast.com.au BF9001 *Elanco®, Extinosad® and the diagonal colour bar are trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company. EAH12048 1 38 on-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Merino Superior Sires 18 released Fast facts l T he latest version of Merino Superior Sires was released in November. l Site reports that provide detailed results for each site are available online. M erino Superior Sires No. 18 has been released and is available in hard copy and from the Merino Superior Sires website www.merinosuperiorsires.com.au Merino Superior Sires No. 18 contains the results of sires evaluated at 11 central test sire evaluation sites across Australia over the past five years (2007 to 2011 drops). These sites include New England (NSW), Macquarie (NSW), Bluechip Livestock Temora (NSW), South West Slopes (NSW), Elders Victoria, North East Victoria, Yardstick (WA), Badgingarra (WA), Tasmania, Bollon (Qld) and Longreach (Qld). Individual Site Reports can also be found on the Merino Superior Sires website under “CTSE sites and reports”. New features in this edition of Merino Superior Sires include details on: • Three new MERINOSELECT indexes • Genomic Breeding Values for Poll/ Horn • Top 50 sires ranked on Index over the past five years for each of the three indexes • Individual results of the 238 sires evaluated at each of the 11 breeder managed Central Test Sire Evaluation sites. An all time (1989-2011 drops) “Top 50” sire list for each index can also be found on the Merino Superior Sires website. Recommended ewe tail length on a "SkinTracted" Sheep SiNcE 1989 Central Test Sire Evaluation Results NUMBER 18 – 2012 | 2007 – 2011 Drops 10 7 1 8 2 5 11 9 3 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. New England Macquarie Elders Victoria North East Victoria Yardstick Tasmania 7. The Queensland cTSE 8. Badgingarra 9. South West Slopes 10. Longreach 11. Bluechip Livestock Temora 4 6 Regular updates are available at: www.merinosuperiorsires.com.au Merino Superior Sires No.18 was released in November. More information: www.merinosuperiorsires.com.au For hard copies of the Merino Superior Sires No. 18, contact the Executive Officer of the Australian Merino Sire Evaluation Association, Ben Swain, on 0427 100 542 or [email protected] Tail length literature review Fast facts l A literature review of over 30 publications on tail length since the 1930s is on the AWI website. l The current recommendation is to dock the tail of ewe and ram lambs, “immediately below the third palpable joint” (the so called medium-long tail). rts e repo e ed sit detailr every sir e in l n fo ble o availa T he docking of lambs’ tails reduces the life-long susceptibility of sheep to breech strike, dags, shearing cuts and grass seed infection. The move back to unmulesed sheep has resulted in some producers questioning the current recommendation for tail length. The current recommendation is to dock the tail of ewe lambs, “immediately below the third palpable joint” (the so called medium-long tail) and “males can be docked one joint shorter”. This results in the healed tail protecting the anal region and extending to the tip of the vulva in ewes. The tail length recommendation is largely based on a series of research trials in the 1930s and 1940s at five “low dag” sites from Central NSW to Cunnamulla, on over 10,000 unmulesed sheep and from trials in the 1970s using mulesed sheep. This research revealed that the best protection from breech strike and shearing cuts was obtained by docking the tails immediately below the third palpable joint. Docking the tails of unmulesed sheep at the second joint or shorter resulted in an inferior result, with these sheep experiencing two to three times the rate of breech strike as sheep with the recommended length. Short length tails took longer to heal and were more likely to be infected. Nearly all the tail length trials were conducted in low-dag country. A literature review of over 30 publications on tail length since the 1930s is on the AWI website www.wool.com More information: www.wool.com on-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale 39 Sheep Genetics website revamped Fast facts l The Sheep Genetics website has been restructured and updated to make it easier for users to navigate and find information. l AWI and Meat and Livestock Australia invest in Sheep Genetics with the overarching goal of facilitating increased rates of genetic improvement in the sheep industry. l MERINOSELECT is the part of Sheep Genetics that can help woolgrowers identify Merino sheep in terms of their benchmarked genetic potential and the value they can bring to their business. The home page of the new Sheep Genetics website. T he Sheep Genetics website has been updated and restructured to make the items that are most used front and centre, such as the web search, access to Elites and lists of “Service Provider” businesses (data management, scanner, genetic advisors). Further website changes are planned with additional content to be added and updated over the next twelve months. Key features are: • Easier ways to search for animals, and breeder information • Sale and semen catalogues • Trait percentile tables • Mating predictor • Leading sire lists by wool type and index Members can use an updated dashboard section which assesses their rate of genetic gain, print reports on demand and can direct upload data and reports. A guide to essential services is available by clicking on the presentation "Navigating the Sheep Genetics website" available in the Resources >> Presentations section. Animals can be searched for a wide range of attributes, such as: having minimum or maximum ranges of any number of traits, number of progeny and • Search page of the sire with most progeny. progeny sites assessed and if they have been used at Sire Evaluation or the Sheep CRC sites. Animals meeting the search criteria can be ranked in increasing or decreasing order for any trait or index. The pedigree of animals can be investigated with animals going back over many generations. A sire born in 1992 has the most progeny to date with 4,040 progeny tested over 46 sites. Below is his search page. Averages are for the 2011 Drop. More information: www.sheepgenetics.org.au 40 on-farm selling more wool December 2012 Beyond the Bale Progress in the fight against breech strike Producers can take advantage of “curve bender” sires when breeding sheep resistant to breech strike. Fast facts l Research findings show an integrated approach to preventing breech strike remains the most effective strategy. l Breeding sheep resistant to breech strike remains a key tool for producers, by culling affected animals and using breech trait scores to reduce susceptible animals. l In high-dag country, managing dags is the greatest challenge for controlling breech strike. l Chemicals remain a critical tool but must be used carefully to avoid resistance developing. l Research and development is continuing into mulesing alternatives such SkinTraction®. A WI presented its third National Wool Research and Development Technical Update on Breech Strike Prevention in Sydney in August. Presentations were made by researchers from throughout Australia, including the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, CSIRO, the Mackinnon Project (University of Melbourne), Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (Armidale), Cobbett Technologies, Sheep CRC, Joan Lloyd Consulting and Australian Wool Exchange. This article outlines the key messages from the August 2012 Update, and the direction of future research and development into breech strike prevention. Figure 1 Breech wrinkle, dag and breech cover scores. Breeding for resistance Good research and development progress has been made in breeding for breech strike resistance. Encouragingly, breech strike is both highly heritable and repeatable. Culling breech struck sheep is therefore an obvious way to reduce problems both now and in the future. There is also a strong relationship between key breech trait scores and the risk of breech strike. These traits include breech wrinkle, dag and breech wool cover and the range of these scores are shown in Figure 1. The risk of strike is reduced by every 0.1 reduction in any of these component breech scores. The key breech trait scores producers should target are 2:2:3 for breech wrinkle score, dag score and breech cover score respectively. This combination can provide the equivalent protection to mulesing. The risk of breech strike increases quickly when any of the individual scores rise. on-farm December 2012 Beyond the Bale Environmental aspects While quicker progress can be made through breeding to improve wrinkle and breech cover scores, improving dag score in Mediterranean winter-rainfall dominant regions is much more difficult as many other environmental, non-genetic factors come into play. In this region of Australia, producers must contend with an environment that causes significant dag levels in sheep, making it ‘high-dag country’. Dags in southern Australia can swamp genetic progress made by selecting low wrinkle and low breech cover sheep. The selection of low-dag and low worm egg count in sheep in high-dag country is still recommended, despite the slow progress which will be made. Good worm control is important and research into dags from hypersensitivity reactions to larvae continues. Dags also cause other production issues such as high numbers of crutching cuts and levels of stain in the wool clip. Management issues In high-dag country, crutching prior to the ‘high-dag season’ of mid-winter to late spring, and chemical prevention are often required in addition to mulesing to achieve adequate breech strike control. For the remaining months of the year or in low-dag country, mulesing provides very effective control. Since mulesing was first adopted, there has also been an increase in improved pastures and use of fertiliser leading to much higher stocking rates and prevalence of dags in these southern winter-rainfall dominant areas. 41 TABLE 1. The ABSVs and percentiles for a Merino sire with 350 progeny (pictured below) ASBV Merino ASBV Percentile Yearling body weight 5.6 Top 20% Yearling fat 0.9 Top 1% Yearling eye muscle 2.5 Top 1% Yearling greasy fleece weight 11 Top 30% Yearling fibre diameter -1 Top 50% Yearling staple strength 0.5 Top 50% Yearling worm egg count -15 Top 10% 7 Top 10% Breech wrinkle -0.4 Top 20% Breech cover -0.8 Top 1% Dags -0.2 Top 10% Merino production plus index 155 Top 10% Dual purpose plus index 166 Top 1% Trait Number lambs weaned Source: MERINOSELECT database This sire has very low ASBVs for breech Facts and figures wrinkle, cover, dags There has been a rapid adoption of breech flystrike indicator traits by MERINOSELECT studs throughout Australia, expressed as Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs). The correlations between breech score and the key production traits of fleece weight, fibre diameter and fertility are low. Fortunately for commercial producers, there are good numbers of sheep which have low wrinkle, cover and dag scores and also have high fleece value and high fertility. The studs who have focused on breeding ‘curve benders’ for low wrinkle and high fleece weight, have bred sheep with lower correlations between these traits. This further increases the number of sheep good for all the key breech strike and production traits in these studs. The ASBVs of one such sire, with over 300 evaluated progeny in the MERINOSELECT database, are shown in Table 1. The best way for commercial producers to manage multiple trait correlations (both favourable and unfavourable) is to understand and use ASBVs when selecting sires. and worm egg count Preventative measures Research has shown high-wrinkle sheep in high-dag country that have been treated with breech clips need to be managed as though they were unmulesed. The breech clips are not providing sufficient reduction in wrinkle and dags compared to mulesing in high dag country. There has not been any formal breech strike clip trials on low to moderate wrinkle sheep in low-dag areas, although some breeders in these areas are reporting adequate reductions in yet has a Merino Production Plus Index in the top 10 per cent and Dual Purpose Plus Index in the top 1 per cent (see Table 1). breech strike if moderate to low-wrinkle sheep are treated with clips. Chemical prevention using Dicyclanil (Clik®) has been shown to provide good protection from breech strike for all sheep irrespective of wrinkle and dags. Reducing dags in high-dag country is the topic of ongoing research and development, with only limited success to date, other than continued good worm control and breeding for lower worm egg counts and lower dags. Reducing resistance To reduce the risk of future resistance to chemicals in Australian sheep blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) populations, it is important to balance the chemical and non-chemical means of making sheep less attractive to flies. This approach is commonly referred to as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and typically involves best practice combination use of chemical prevention, crutching and breeding. It is important producers use different chemicals when treating fly-struck sheep and preventing flystrike. Applying chemicals effectively is critical to slowing resistance. 42 on-farm This includes checking the most appropriate time for treatment and using the web-based Sheep CRC resource FlyBoss, which is available at www.flyboss.org.au A breakdown in the efficacy of the available chemicals has the potential to expose large numbers of unmulesed sheep to a high risk of breech strike, and all sheep to body strike. AWI and the NSW Department of Primary Industries are funding a trial to look at cyromazine and dicyclanil resistance in blowflies. They are seeking assistance from producers in collecting maggots to conduct resistance testing. More information can be obtained by emailing Garry Levot at [email protected] or telephoning him on (02) 4640 6376. Mulesing alternative Research trials continue into SkinTraction®, an intradermal alternative to mulesing carried out post-weaning. This is a low-stress method of increasing the breech and tail bare area and reducing breech wrinkles. SkinTraction® uses an intradermal application of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) to modify the skin in the target area. The full effect of SkinTraction® requires several months to occur. Early trials showed considerable variability between sites, but this seems to have been largely overcome by adopting the new treatment protocols that have been developed. These protocols include the need to keep lambs well hydrated and vaccinated against tetanus at the time of treatment, and not treating lambs during the fly season or during cold, wet and windy weather. The protocols also recommend applying antiseptic to the breech area prior to treatment, and only treating sheep greater than 30kg, in a condition score greater than 2.5 and with breech wool less than 8mm in length. While there have been encouraging results in on-farm trials the speed of treatment needs to be increased. If it is approved for release by the APVMA, it will be rolled out at a controlled and modest rate through trained contractors. Improvements aimed at reducing the age, weight and condition specifications for treatment are being planned. At this stage it is a more technical and complex tool than most other tools in the flystrike prevention strategy basket. December 2010 2012 September Beyond Beyond the the Bale Bale Pain management The latest research into pain management during animal husbandry procedures suggests a combination of analgesics is more effective than single drugs in managing acute (immediate) and chronic (longer term) phase pain. This could involve a combination of short- and long-acting drugs within one class, or drugs from two or more classes with different modes of action. Unfortunately there is a limited number of pain relief products for sheep currently registered for use in Australia, and there is no easy way to overcome the considerable hurdles and costs to get new products developed and approved. There are a number of other considerations driving product development, including the potential for analgesic products to improve productivity. However, researchers believe this should be viewed as a bonus, with a reduction in suffering being the main goal of pain relief products. Since the first release of accessible pain relief products in 2006, grower adoption at mulesing has been rapid, with an estimated 70 per cent of mulesed sheep now being treated with pain relief at mulesing. Money talks A report was given by Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX) as part of the updates about the performance of wool based on mulesing status over the past four years. For wool sold using the National Wool Declaration (NWD) and auction system, bales labelled as ‘Not Mulesed’, ‘Ceased Mulesed’ and ‘Pain Relief’ have risen from nine per cent to 20 per cent of all wool sold last year. During the 2012 season there are currently only small premiums and discounts for wool according to mulesing status, which is likely to continue until larger volumes of classified wool are sold. These findings were backed up by another study from the University of Sydney, which found between 2008 and 2011, these premiums and discounts were small. Direct sales offer the most potential to increase the prices received for unmulesed, ceased mulesed and pain relief wool. While direct-sale premiums exist, there is a lack of data to determine their size and consistency. Where to now? Breeding breech strike resistant sheep will continue to be a research and development priority. Areas which will be studied include odours which attract or repel flies, urine stain variation and the use of DNA technology. It is possible ASBVs for urine stain, face cover, neck wrinkle and perhaps odour will be created in future years. Reducing the incidence of dags in high-dag country will be another research priority, with a series of projects under review by AWI. There will also be ongoing R&D into the efficacy of pain-relief products. Finally, work will continue to increase the engagement of producers in the use of best management practices for breech strike prevention in their sheep. The modified pulse, needle-free tube applicator for SkinTraction® More information: • Presentations from the August 2012 Update are available at www.wool.com/flystrikeRnDupdate • Further information about flystrike prevention is available at www.wool.com/flystrike and www.flyboss.org.au Readers’ photos! 1 Have you got any interesting photos that you’d like to share with other readers of Beyond the Bale? We are always keen to see and hear what people working with Australian wool are up to. If you want to share any photos with us, please email the image and a brief description to the editor of Beyond the Bale Richard Smith at richard.smith@wool. com. The photos could portray any feature, be it humourous or poignant, informative or provoking, gritty or beautiful. We can’t promise that we’ll print every photo, but we’d love to see them. Here are a few that we have recently received from readers. 2 1. “BUT I WANT TO DRIVE” Lynley Anderson of Kojonup, WA sent in this photo of “Lambie” who was orphaned when she was young and reared by the family until being weaned out into the paddock with the other sheep. Lambie is seven years old now and content to be a sheep but still loves to see her people friends! 2. “MY MANS HANDS” Mary-Rose Townsend from "Willow Vale" of Evans 3 Plains near Bathurst, NSW sent in this photo of her husband admiring some beautiful staples of their Merino wool. 3. “DINNER FOR SIX” Graem Murray sent in this photo taken near Augathella in western Queensland of a goat being stalked by six wild dogs during the big wet; the scene epitomises the reason for the decline in sheep numbers in Queensland. 4. “WORKING CLASS BOY” Kaye Payne of 'Glenlee' from North Yalgogrin, NSW sent in this photo of her 15 year old grandson Jack shearing his 100th lamb for the day in front of his city and country cousins. 4 worms. Kill them in sUmmer or theY’ll Kill YoU in winter. sUmmer drenching. the KeY to winter prodUctivitY. Ki l l s >99.9% s of wor m 2 If the drench you use this summer is not up to scratch it’ll hurt you all through winter. So if you want to maximise your livestock performance, then you need to stop worms on pasture now. That means insisting on ZOLVIX® for your crucial first summer drench. •Kills>99.9% of worms,1 even resistant worms. •Prolongsthelifespanandefficacyofotherdrenches.2 •Zeroresistance. XAVIER_NAH30702_1112 www.zolvix.com worms don’t stand a chance References 1. Kills ›99.9% of barbers pole, small brown stomach and black scour worms. A pooled analysis of the efficacy of monepantel, an amino-acetonitrile derivative against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep. Hosking et al., Parasitol Res (2010), 106: 529-532. 2. Minimising the development of anthelmintic resistance, and optimising the use of the novel anthelmintic monepantel, for the sustainable control of nematode parasites in Australian sheep grazing systems. R.J. Dobson et al., AVJ (2011), Vol. 89, No 5. ZOLVIX contains 25 g/L monepantel, a member of the Amino-Acetonitrile Derivative (AAD) class of anthelmintics. ZOLVIX® is a registered trademark Novartis AG, Basel, Switzerland. For full product details contact NOVARTIS CUSTOMER ADVISORY LINE on 1800 633 768 TOLL FREE between 8.30am and 5.30pm E.S.T. Monday to Friday. Novartis Animal Health Australasia Pty Limited, ACN 076 745 198, 54 Waterloo Road, North Ryde NSW 2113.