EATING quality payments for lamb can be the icing on the cake for Merino producers, according to one of the most consistent performers on the Gundagai Lamb grid.

The family-owned Oxton Park operation at Harden in New South Wales last week won the prestigious Gundagai Lamb Producer of the Year award for the second consecutive year.

The 2024 Gundagai Lamb Producer Awards in Gundagai last Thursday recognised GL producers and partners across six categories, including awards focused on GLQ scores that grade individual lamb, for intramuscular fat, lean meat yield and animal welfare.

The Producer of the Year award is judged on five criteria weighted to determine an individual score: GLQ score average – 40pc; GLQ score standard deviation (spread) – 10pc; HSCW average – 20pc; HSCW standard deviation (spread) – 10pc and number of consignments – 20pc.

Oxton Park principal Paul O’Connor said it was equally rewarding to win the Gundagai Lamb award again. He gave credit to livestock manager Brad Cavanaugh for initiating and overseeing Oxton Park’s involvement with Gundagai.

Mr O’Connor thanked Gundagai for being innovative by paying producers on eating quality and being transparent with carcase feedback.

“I think they are doing us all a huge favour by being so adventurous.

“It’s got the potential to, and it already is, doing the industry a huge favour,” he said.

“It would be lovely to see the rest of the processing industry come on board.

“I’m never going to tell other people how to run their business, but I hope that other people (processors) will do the same thing for the greater good,” Mr O’Connor said.

“I know there all sorts of arguments there that they will say it is too time-consuming and some will say they are all about volume and a commodity rather than picking out the better ones.”

Eating quality, feedback and loyalty

Mr O’Connor said equated the advent of lamb of eating quality measurement and payment with the importance of next-to-skin Merino wool garments to the industry.

“I just think this (eating quality) can be the icing on the cake if we develop it further and increase the market share of lamb.

“it’s got huge potential for the Merino industry because I don’t many of us would be confident of surviving just producing Merino sheep for wool – the fact that the meat job is a huge part of it now gives it a lot better chance of it being profitable.”

Mr O’Connor said the importance of meat to the Oxton Park operation is huge.

“We’ve recognised that for a long time and that’s why our sheep perform.

“Even before this we’ve been sending our lambs to other processors for a long time and that’s been a big factor in the breeding program.”

He believed Gundagai’s feedback program and its eating quality payment engendered loyalty to the processor.

“Definitely it’s a two-way street; there’s a lot of loyalty from both parties and the enjoyable part of the experience and relationship is the fact that no one is trying to ‘pull the wool over anyone’s eyes’ – it’s very transparent.

“It’s very obvious that other people feel the same way.”

He said Gundagai producers were better off knowing where the product is going and the processor’s challenges.

“It gives you a bit of confidence.”

Feedback is used as a selection tool

Mr O’Connor said Octon Park used Gundagai carcase feedback to make some breeding decisions.

“It gives us a lot of satisfaction that we are heading in the right direction.

“From a lot of years heading down this path we’ve seen a steady increase in our Merino lamb growth rates,” he said.

“Years ago we would get excited when our Merino lambs were hanging up at 22kgs and we’ve seen a very consistent trajectory in that graph each year.

“A few years ago when we were getting them up to 27-30kgs (in 9-10 months) we have been pleasantly surprised how well that’s gone without having to sacrifice the wool side of the business.”

The 8000ha cropping, cattle and sheep operation at Harden runs about 40,000 sheep, joining about 11,000 adult Merino ewes to Merino rams, with 6000 classed out Merinos joined to a Poll Dorset ram for autumn and winter lambings annually.

“We mark about 12,500 Merino lambs and about 6500 crossbred lambs.”

Mr O’Connor said most of the 7000 lambs consigned to Gundagai in 2023 to produce the award-winning results were 8-10 month-old pure Merinos finished on pasture or crops, with the crossbred lambs turned off earlier at about 24kg dressed.

He estimated the lambs consigned to Gundagai Lamb on the eating quality grid would gross about $230 each, combining carcase, wool and skin value.

Eating quality traits honed into flock with homebred sires

Mr O’Connor said Bundilla has been a big part of the genetics used in the Merino flock, with some Poll Boonoke and Anderson Poll, mostly using semen and the odd natural mating.

“We breed our own rams – we have in-house stud – that do all the DNA testing on, and that’s been the big reason we’ve been able to achieve what we’ve achieved; by selecting the genetics that we want.

“Our aim with own rams since about 1995 has been to try to breed a dual purpose Merino.”

Mr O’Connor said Oxton Park has selected for important carcase traits – early growth, eye muscle and fat – for years, and only recently started using a sire selected for intramuscular fat.

He said after hearing that Merinos would marble better than other lambs, they were keen to send some lambs to Gundagai.

“We got a pleasant surprise, as did Gundagai, how well they performed.

“They were big heavy lambs, 35kg carcases, the first ones we sent there.”

Mr O’Connor said they were aiming for an animal balanced for wool, carcase, fertility, worm resistance and doing ability. Oxton Park has also been supplying wool under contract to New Zealand Merino since 2012.

He said it was rewarding to be able to supply quality wool to the NZM brands and to have the same animal producing premium quality meat.

“It certainly backs up what a dual purpose animal the Merino is and can be.

“The eating quality are has huge potential,” he said.

“Lamb has got a pretty good reputation but you can always improve on it.”

GL supply chain manager Michelle Henry presented the award winners, who also included:

• Grid Compliance Award – DJ Graham Trust
• GLQ Score Award for the highest average GLQ score – Tallawong Pastoral Co.
• GLQ Score for Age Award – Barclay
• Pioneer’s Award, awarded in acknowledgment of an individual or organisation who have gone above and beyond to assist with the growth and development of the brand – Alex Hardie and James Corcoran
• Agent of the Year – Dean Bourlet

Awards recognise innovation and commitment to quality

Gundagai Lamb CEO Will Barton said the awards are an important way to recognise producers for their innovation and commitment to improving consistent lamb quality.

“Gundagai Lamb was built on the idea that there is a better, cleaner, healthier way to eat lamb and a lot of that comes down to consistency in delivering a quality product.

“Oxton Park receiving this award two years running is testament that, as producers, they live and breathe that commitment to consistent quality,” he said.

“We are very fortunate to work with high calibre, dedicated producers so the bar is set very high and this year’s award winners continue to raise that bar.”

Guests of the event heard from Gundagai Lamb team members who outlined the year in review and future plans while dining on Gundagai Lamb GLQ5+ lamb cutlets, slow roasted minted lamb shoulder spring rolls, Massaman Lamb Curry and Lamb Ragu with locally made pasta.

Gundagai Lamb team members Jake Bourlet and Claire Marriott reviewed the year and said 237 producers consigned 135,000 lambs to the brand in its third year, supporting its growth and development. The average distance travelled to the plant was 140 kilometres, down 20km on the prior year, with 98pc of lamb coming from within 400km of the plant.