The Western Australian sheep flock is currently estimated to be approximately 14 million sheep, including, 7.5 million breeding ewes. The following map illustrates the approximate distribution of sheep numbers throughout the state, with the colour indicating the percentage change in numbers between 2012/2013 and 2015/2016. Figure 1 - Western Australian Numbers - Source With much of the state demonstrating a decline in sheep numbers, this is a continuance of the long- term trend of the past 25 years. The decline in sheep numbers, while dramatic, is in line with national trends (see below). Figure 2 - National Sheep Numbers - Source: A survey of Western Australian producers in 2014 found that 4% of respondents were currently using EID in some form, with a further 16% indicating that they were considering the use of EID (Jones and Curnow, 2015). Victoria has lead the way in EID adoption in Australia following a number of Victorian State Government investments aimed at increasing the voluntary adoption of the technology. Their investments have included funding research, demonstrations, extension activities, subsidising tag prices and offering producer grants for equipment purchases. On initiatives, the following are the express opinions of Achieve Ag Solutions only. Tag subsidies have been offered over a number of years in Victoria and have played a key role in achieving ever increasing uptake of the technology. The recent announcement of mandatory EID for traceability purposes has resulted in a major spike in interest in the on-farm use of EID. It is the authors estimate, that Victorian EID tag sales were in the low to mid hundreds of thousands prior to the announcement, while approximately 9 million tags are to be applied in Victoria in 2018 under the mandatory tag system. Based on recent producer consultation, it appears as though the decision to apply EID tags has existed as an initial barrier to adoption, and now that decision has been removed from the equation, many more producers are looking to invest in equipment and utilise the tags that sheep and lambs will carry now and into the future. Based upon this, both tag subsidy and mandatory tagging have resulted in increased uptake of the technology in their own right.
The Western Australian sheep flock is currently estimated to be approximately 14 million sheep, including, 7.5 million breeding ewes. The following map illustrates the approximate distribution of sheep numbers throughout the state, with the colour indicating the percentage change in numbers between 2012/2013 and 2015/2016. Figure 1 - Western Australian Numbers - Source With much of the state demonstrating a decline in sheep numbers, this is a continuance of the long- term trend of the past 25 years. The decline in sheep numbers, while dramatic, is in line with national trends (see below). Figure 2 - National Sheep Numbers - Source: A survey of Western Australian producers in 2014 found that 4% of respondents were currently using EID in some form, with a further 16% indicating that they were considering the use of EID (Jones and Curnow, 2015). Victoria has lead the way in EID adoption in Australia following a number of Victorian State Government investments aimed at increasing the voluntary adoption of the technology. Their investments have included funding research, demonstrations, extension activities, subsidising tag prices and offering producer grants for equipment purchases. On initiatives, the following are the express opinions of Achieve Ag Solutions only. Tag subsidies have been offered over a number of years in Victoria and have played a key role in achieving ever increasing uptake of the technology. The recent announcement of mandatory EID for traceability purposes has resulted in a major spike in interest in the on-farm use of EID. It is the authors estimate, that Victorian EID tag sales were in the low to mid hundreds of thousands prior to the announcement, while approximately 9 million tags are to be applied in Victoria in 2018 under the mandatory tag system. Based on recent producer consultation, it appears as though the decision to apply EID tags has existed as an initial barrier to adoption, and now that decision has been removed from the equation, many more producers are looking to invest in equipment and utilise the tags that sheep and lambs will carry now and into the future. Based upon this, both tag subsidy and mandatory tagging have resulted in increased uptake of the technology in their own right.
Opportunities%20for%20Individual%20Animal%20Management%20of%20Sheep%20in%20Western%20Australia.docx