Wool Desk Report - May 2007

Summary

This issue of Wool Desk Report presents the results of a survey conducted in February 2007 of 1810 Australian sheep producers. The survey was done to provide information to the Australian Wool Innovation Wool Production Forecasting Committee and to update the flock model that is used by the relevant state committees.

The producers surveyed collectively produced 27.3 million kilograms of wool from a total of 5.0 million adult sheep and 1.9 million lambs shorn during 2005/2006. This represented a sample size of 5.9 per cent of Australian wool production and 6.5 per cent of the adult sheep and lambs shorn during 2005/2006.

The key findings from the survey were:

• 66 per cent of producers reported being in drought while a further 23 per cent reportedconditions as below average;
• 70 per cent of producers reported that the seasonal conditions of February 2007 were worse than those of February 2006;
• 75 per cent of producers intended to maintain their current mix of wool and prime lamb production, while 11 per cent intended to move toward more prime lamb and 7 per cent toward more wool production;
• 58 per cent of all ewes are to be mated to Merino rams in 2007, down from 61 per cent in 2006. For Merino ewes, 69 per cent are to be mated to Merino rams in 2007;
• In 2006, the marking rate (lambs marked relative to ewes joined) for Merino lambs was 80 per cent, while the rate for Merino first cross lambs was 86 per cent; Merino second cross lambs, 83 per cent and meat breed lambs, 105 per cent;
• At the start of 2007, ewes accounted for 72 per cent of the national flock and 82 per cent of these ewes were pure Merino. Of the sheep over 12 months old, 78 per cent were ewes and 88 per cent were Merino.

The widespread drought being experienced by Australian farmers has resulted in a drop in sheep numbers and re-building the national flock once the drought has broken will require breeding over a number of years as there are few surplus sheep available for purchase.

The emphasis on prime lamb production in recent years appears to have reached a plateau. This is possibly due to a combination of good wool prices, the desire to maintain the number of self-replacing Merinos and the uncertainty caused by the current drought.

Merino sheep continue to provide the backbone of the Australian flock in terms of producing fine Merino wool and also prime lambs through the use of terminal sires.

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