Example - Peter Westblade Memorial Merino Challenge

Photo: Wool Challenge shearing - Bernie Dwyer (entrant), Sally Martin, Rick Baldwin & Ross Baldwin (Source: Southern Weekly Magazine)

The Sheep CRC is pleased to support the Peter Westblade Memorial Merino Challenge (PWMMC). The Merino Challenge has been designed to demonstrate to entrants and the wider sheep industry the genetic opportunities that currently exist to be more financially sustainable in the future.

The PWMMC involves 1500 sheep consisting of 50 teams of 30 wethers from all over Australia. All participating teams are from commercial Merino flocks and represent 35 bloodlines. The PWMMC includes commercial breeders who have been using objective genetic selection for many years and breeders who had not previously wanted to benchmark their flocks.

The PWWMC has two components consisting of a Meat Challenge and Wool Challenge. The Meat Challenge is a new concept measuring commercially relevant carcase and meat traits. Results have been published for the Meat and Wool Challenge independently, the combined PWMMC results will be released mid 2012 after the final shearing.

All the wethers are run together under the same environment, nutrition and management conditions to ensure a fair and equitable comparison. The Meat Challenge component was completed in August 2010 and the first, of two, shearings of the Wool Challenge in April 2011.

Results to date show:

• Under the same stocking rate there is over 100% difference in net profit per hectare between the top and bottom performing teams in the Wool Challenge, demonstrating a significant improvement in net profit per hectare as a result of the genetic difference – that is, the bottom teams could DOUBLE their profitability JUST BY USING “superior” GENETICS.
• Some of the highest performing teams are producing both high wool and high meat values. The combined Meat and Wool Challenge highlight the ability of Merinos to effectively produce for both wool and meat markets.
• Almost all the bloodlines used by the top 20% of teams ranked on net profit per hectare are using genetic technologies in MerinoSelect.

The organisers of the Merino Challenge are now calling for entrants for the next round to be conducted during 2012 – 2014. Peter Westblade Memorial Merino Challenge rules, guidelines and the entry form are available below.

Peter Westblade Memorial Merino Challenge 2012-2014 Rules & Guidelines (90 KB)

The Peter Westblade Memorial Merino Challenge video provides further information (click here to view the video).

For further information contact:

Sally Martin, NSW Department of Primary Industries on phone: 0427 401 538 email: sally.martin@industry.nsw.gov.au
Craig Wilson, Craig Wilson & Associates on phone: 0428 250 982 or email: craigwilsonlivestock@bigpond.com
 

Read the media release - Genetics: the key to doubling net profits

Go to the 'News Release' tab below to read this media release (Source: Peter Westblade Memorial Merino Challenge).