Queensland sheep industry continues to rebuild

By Alan Rae, Agforce Sheep and Wool President
Updated December 12 2017 - 4:30pm, first published 1:27pm
Qld sheep industry continues to rebuild
Qld sheep industry continues to rebuild

The most recent Agricultural Census saw Queensland take the mantle as the nation’s most valuable agricultural state, and while beef is our biggest commodity, many primary producers in pastoral areas are moving back into sheep.

The revitalisation of Queensland’s sheep and wool industry this year has come on the back of greater confidence in controlling wild dogs due to the opportunity to build exclusion fences. 

More than 200,000 head of sheep have been added to the state’s flock as more than 7500km of fencing is built throughout regional communities.

For producers who have built fences, the results have been amazing with lambing percentages going from less than 20 per cent to more than 90pc.

AgForce is grateful for the Federal and State Government funding to date, and was pleased to see that during the state election campaign, both sides of politics supported the continued rollout of cluster fencing.

While the re-elected Palaszczuk government’s commitment of $5 million over two years is welcome, we’d like to see an ongoing, annual commitment of $5 million to meet the enormous demand from producers and get the job done once and for all.

We also must not lose sight of the continued need for shearer and shed-hand training, nor the need to encourage Queensland’s sheep producers to accurately complete the National Wool Declaration, the National Vendor Declaration and the National Sheep Health Declaration.

All of these documents form vital parts of a sheep enterprise’s ability to demonstrate good product integrity for the end user of our products, while also ensuring good on-farm biosecurity practices to prevent the spread of disease.

If we can finally get some rain in Queensland’s drought declared areas, commodity prices stay strong and exclusion fencing continues to roll out, more and more broadacre primary producers will gain the confidence to run a sheep and wool enterprise again. 

As Queensland’s sheep numbers rebuild, we will help boost Queensland’s regional communities, bringing renewed prosperity and much-needed increased employment opportunities.


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