WESTERN Australian sheep producers will for the first time have the opportunity to process their lambs locally for the LambEx26 AMPC Carcase Showcase.

Expressions of Interest have opened for WA producers wanting to process lambs for the showcase at the WAMMCO International plant at Katanning.

This expanded processing capability follows unprecedented Western Australian interest in the LambEx26 AMPC Carcase Showcase.

The showcase is the follow-up event to the highly successful carcase competition run at the 2024 LambEx. The showcase rather than being a competition, at this stage, will only highlight standout results, with a focus on benchmarking lambs against the collective dataset to deliver key lessons for Lambex26 delegates.

However, Victorian Merino breeder and winner of the LambEx24 AMPC Carcase Competition Ricky Luhrs said the showcase is an opportunity for producers to get full lean meat yield and carcase data on their lambs under their management – including an intramuscular fat measurement and a Meat Standards Australia grading (not shear force).

“They will be getting important up-to-date data on their flock under their own management free of charge.”

He said it has cost him up to $150 a head to get this data on lambs.

LambEx AMPC Carcase Showcase manager Jason Schulz said it made sense to add a local Western Australian processor and to reopen Showcase Expressions of Interest for local producers.

“So many Western Australian sheep producers wanted to enter the Showcase, they were interested in the premium MSA Graded carcase feedback and benchmarking – the data that will help them develop their business,” he said.

“Adding a Western Australian processor to the Showcase takes away the barrier of freight and logistics for local sheep producers and we hope this will encourage a few extra to take part.”

Katanning sheep producer David Thompson said the LambEx AMPC Carcase Showcase is an opportunity for Western Australia sheep producers to accurately understand the quality of the lambs they are producing.

“I’m going to enter because I want to know whether we are producing the right sort of product to meet consumer demand,” he said.

“It’s also about being proactive – particularly for Merino breeders who have traditionally relied on live export. Getting these carcase measurements will be fundamental to proving our lambs are as good as any other breed in Australia and I hope this Showcase might help processors in WA fast-track putting this measurement technology into kill chains.”

Expressions of Interest for Western Australian sheep producers are open until 23 November, 2025.

In the eastern states, 56 sheep producers from across the country have submitted Expressions of Interest for the showcase. Eastern state EOIs closed on 12 October.

Lambex26 said the showcase will provide producers with rare insight into how their lambs perform in the chiller, linking genetics, nutrition and management decisions directly to meat quality and commercial outcomes.

Unlike a competition, the Showcase focuses on benchmarking lambs against a national dataset and sharing learnings to improve industry performance. Standout results will be recognised, but the emphasis is on commercial insight and transparency.

How to Enter

EOIs are open to Western Australian lamb producers, across grass-fed, grain-assisted and feedlot systems. Each entry consists of:

• 1 line of 100 market-ready lambs from a consistent management group

• National Livestock Identification System EID tags (mandatory)

Delivery/processing: 9 March 2026 for processing 10 March, 2026

For more information and to submit an EOI, visit: https://www.lambex.org.au/ampc-carcase-showcase-26

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