Studs display their best rams at 27th annual Narrogin Long Wool Day

Twenty-six Merino and Poll Merino studs showcased their top rams for commercial growers to inspect at the 27th annual Narrogin Long Wool Day, ahead of the upcoming ram selling season. Event co-ordinator Ashley Lock said the display at the Narrogin Ram Shed on August 2 was of a high standard, with more numbers of March-shorn rams than what was originally intended in the early years. “The day’s low visitor attendance reflected the hard times the industry is facing, but we have to keep going with a quality display of genetics on offer,” he said. Stud Merino Breeders’ Association of WA president Michael Campbell said the day was “fantastic”. “It’s good to see the mood is bright; people are starting to get feed in the paddocks with a turnaround in the season and we’re starting to see some positivity in the saleyard,” he said. “We are all looking forward for an upturn in the wool market. I think it’s getting closer with stronger interest internationally. “Last year’s ram selling season was challenging and I think this year will be too — there is a good opportunity to buy quality sheep.” Fourth generation Narrogin woolgrower Murray Saunders, who runs 3000 to 3500 Poll Merino breeders in partnership with his wife Rosalind and parents Gerald and Mary Saunders, was among those inspecting rams on the day. Mr Saunders said the Albanese Government’s decision to ban live sheep exports by sea in 2028 had created “confusion in the industry”. “Sheep producers have lost confidence — the idea of more abattoir processing in the short term for the local and export markets can’t be taken up, and lower sheep prices have resulted,” he said. “Inflation around the world has also meant people can’t afford expensive meat protein. “Our strategy will be to increase cropping by 15 per cent and we will re-evaluate our position according to ongoing market conditions.” Mr Saunders said he enjoyed running sheep, more so than cropping. “Sheep offer more economic diversity; rather than having one big grain cheque at the end of the year, I would prefer six smaller cheques throughout the year,” he said. “We feedlot finish our prime lambs, some as summer stores, and run wethers until three years of age, but our mutton now competes for space at the abattoir with sheep that used to be marketed as live export. “The processors are also discounting Merino lambs at about 20c/kg less than crossbreds, most of which were bred out of a Merino ewe — this hurts the Merino industry.” Mr Saunders said through Elders classer Nathan King, they had been focused on lifting fertility without sacrificing wool cut and quality. “We’ve increased our lambing per cent by 20 per cent while maintaining 19.5 micron for the main flock, producing about 5kg/sheep across the flock or 42 tonnes/year,” he said. Kojonup-based Angenup co-principal Rod Norrish said the past 12 months had been “ordinary”, but ewe mutton had just gone up $1/kg over the hook and there were “no lambs about”. “Some breeders are down 30 per cent on breeding ewes, which means less lambs and a lot of pressure down the track,” he said. “What worries me is that wool-cutting ability is just not there in many flocks. With the cost of shearing about $12/head, you must be cutting a minimum of 6kg. “Merinos, as a dual-purpose sheep, have changed so much. Wool cut and quality is still there, we’ve got better types that are free-growing, and body weights and fertility have increased.” Mr Norrish said modern cropping was good but the modern Merino was “very tidy”, too. He said the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo and Sale on August 15 and 16 was an opportunity to learn about sheep. Australian Wool Innovation WA-based director Neil Jackson said this year’s WoolPoll vote from September 20 to November 1 would determine the next three-year budget for the industry’s peak research, development and marketing body. He said with a recession in many economies holding back wool prices, AWI’s interest was to keep going with research into flystrike and shearing technology and training.