SOUTH Australia’s sheep industry leaders want more producers to employ consultants and advisers with business support tools to increase the sector’s production and value by 20 percent by 2020.

At a scoping workshop last month, the SA Sheep Industry Blueprint Working Group identified five key objectives to drive profitability, innovation and sustainability along the industry’s value chain.

The working group also wants to increase collaboration across the industry, improve advocacy and attract “new and energetic people”

The five main objectives are:

– Grow the SA sheep industry’s production and value from $1.48 billion in 2015 to $1.8 billion in 2020 while maintaining international competitiveness.

– Develop a united value chain workforce plan from 2015 to 2020 that attracts new and energetic people to the industry.

– Support a 20 percent increase in the engagement of quality consultants and advisers with increased use of business decision-support tools.

– Act as a conduit for greater research, development and extension collaboration along the value chain at the regional, state and national level and develop a measure of greater adoption and uptake.

– Develop a proactive and progressive industry communication plan that, through advocacy and champions, gives greater consumer confidence to increase their demand and engage the whole value chain.

Blueprint will be big on collaboration

Blueprint working group chairman and Moorlands sheep producer Allan Piggott said the blueprint would tackle key issues in a range of areas, such as biosecurity, access to capital, feedback to producers, welfare and environmental advocacy, succession planning and industry communication.

“Our vision is for a sheep, wool and lamb industry that is innovative and progressive and is delivering profit and sustainability to all in the value chain.

“So the blueprint will be big on the collaborative actions and tasks that will lead to outcomes for the next five years,” he said.

Mr Piggott said the working group had received a $140,000 boost from the State Government to help the industry increase productivity and value by 20 per cent by 2020.

“Through the scoping workshop, we’ve identified ways to make this happen.

“We need a plan to grow our industry, to leverage our SA sheep levies by collaborating with other stakeholders and investors and to maintain or gain our share of South Australia’s work force,” Mr Piggot said.

Working group members finalised

Mr Piggott said the other members of the working group that would carry on the direction outlined at the scoping workshop included:

– Jane Kellock, Burra, sheep producer and former chair of the SA Sheep Advisory Group.

– Joe Keynes, Keyneton, commercial sheep and beef producer, and member of the Livestock SA board and of the South Australian Natural Resources Management Council.

– Steve Radeski, Woodside, livestock producer, Livestock SA board member and agri-lending manager.

– Paul Sandercock, Adelaide, executive director, Australian Meat Industry Council.

– Mark Inglis, Melbourne, farm assurance and supply chain manager, JBS Australia – Southern.

– David Rutley, Murray Bridge, lamb supply chain coordinator, Thomas Foods International.

– Jane Lutt, Adelaide, administration manager at EMS Rural Exports, SA Live Export.

– David Michell and Steven Read, Adelaide, Michell Wool.

– Rod Miller, Adelaide, wool marketing manager, Australian Wool Network.

– Richard Harvie, Naracoorte, Pinkerton, Palm, Hamlyn & Steen.

– Troy Fischer, Wasleys, stud and commercial sheep producer.

– Michael Blake, Adelaide, PIRSA meat and livestock account manager.

– Wayne Pitchford, Roseworthy, University of Adelaide, Professor of Animal Breeding.

The blueprint is an initiative of Livestock SA and the SA Sheep Advisory Group and is supported by the State Government. It started in February when more than 50 SA sheep industry stakeholders and decision-makers met at a workshop to scope the plan and identify key areas for the industry’s growth and development.

The group will soon begin the search to employ a manager of the blueprint development and implementation process, to work between Livestock SA, SASAG and sheep, lamb and wool industry stakeholders.

For more information see http://www.livestocksa.org.au/pages/blueprint.php

Source: SA Sheep Advisory Group, Livestock SA