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Top performing New Zealand sheep breeders were recognised at the first-ever Beef + Lamb New Zealand Sheep Industry Awards in Invercargill last week.
About 200 people attended the Beef + Lamb New Zealand's (B+LNZ) Southern South Island Farmer Council event, designed to celebrate sheep farming excellence.
Nine awards were presented, covering genetics, production and business innovation. Results of the genetics-related awards have been calculated based on breeders' performance in SIL-ACE (Advanced Central Evaluation) – the large-scale, across flock and breed genetic evaluation of more than 280 ram breeding flocks.
The B+LNZ Award for an individual or business making a significant contribution to the New Zealand sheep industry was presented to sheep breeding science pioneer Dr Jock Allison.
The Silver Fern Farms Award for sheep industry innovation was presented to Rowan Farmer, responsible for introducing and promoting sheep pregnancy and eye muscle scanning technology to New Zealand.
Smedley Station and Cadet Training Farm was named winner of the AgITO Business Farm Trainer of the Year Award.
The terminal sire flock rated highest for genetic merit across the SIL-ACE evaluation was "The Burn", Joseph and Judy Barkers' Texel stud in Mid Canterbury. The dual purpose (ewe breed) rated highest for genetic merit was "MNCC", Edward Dinger's Coopworth stud in the Waikato.
The idea to hold an awards ceremony was initiated by B+LNZ Farmer Council member and ram breeder Russell Welsh.
Welsh says the dairy industry's track record of celebrating success prompted him to suggest the awards ceremony.
"It highlights best practice and, by default, that lifts all farmers."
B+LNZ chairman Mike Petersen says it is great to see farmers driving an initiative which celebrates the sheep industry, while also highlighting the immense value of SIL's database to the sector.
"Any of us in the sheep business know that choosing a ram is a farm-by-farm decision – that we all have different priorities with regard to finishing, wool production and animal health issues. Consequently, these awards by no means represent 'the top list' for all. But it is very interesting to crunch the numbers and see what comes out the other side.
"My congratulations to all those named. You are part of a critical group of top performing ram breeders who are firmly focused on improving your animals' traits and performance, so that we commercial farmers continue to improve our flocks year on year."
B+LNZ geneticist Mark Young says the process of identifying the top-performing flocks involved analysing the top 25-50% of rams for each specified set of traits, before then adjusting the results to account for variations in flock size.
"This exercise also identified highly-rated sires that were making a big impact in industry. The Beef + Lamb New Zealand Super Sires are rated in the top 10% for genetic merit in indexes of merit across key traits. They are also rams which have been used a lot, so have the most progeny."
Awards based on SIL-ACE – full results
Top Flocks for Genetic Merit
Terminal Flock
(Index: Lamb Growth + Meat Yield)
Winner: The Burn (Texel), JT & J Barker, Winchmore
Commendations: Tamlet (Texel), GA & K Smith, Wyndham
Mount Linton (SufTex), Mt Linton Station, Otautau
Kepler Supreme (Lamb Supreme), Focus Genetics Kepler, Te Anau
Blackdale (Texel), LG & WI Black, Riverton
Dual Purpose Flock
(Index: Reproduction + Lamb Growth + Adult Size + Wool)
Winner: MNCC (Coopworth), AE Dinger, Cambridge
Commendations: Ashgrove (Coopworth), DH Hartles, Maungaturoto
Ashton Glen (Coopworth), R & R Mitchell, Clinton
Alliance High Performance Flock
(Index: Reproduction + Lamb Growth + Adult Size + Wool)
Winner: MNCC (Coopworth), AE Dinger, Cambridge
Commendations: Ashgrove (Coopworth), DH Hartles, Maungaturoto
Ashton Glen (Coopworth), R&R Mitchell, Clinton
Dual Purpose plus Meat Flock
(Index: Reproduction + Lamb Growth + Adult Size + Wool + Meat Yield)
Winner: MNCC (Coopworth), AE Dinger, Cambridge
Commendations: Ashgrove (Coopworth), DH Hartles, Maungaturoto
Marlow (Coopworth), S Wyn-Harris, Waipukurau
Dual Purpose plus Worm FEC Flock
(Index: Reproduction + Lamb Growth + Adult Size + Wool + Parasite Resistance)
Winner: Nithdale (Romney), A Tripp, Gore
Commendations: Nikau (Coopworth), E & S Welch and K Broadbent, Tuakau
Hazeldale (Perendale), Longview Farm, Tapanui
Dual Purpose plus Facial Eczema Flock
(Index: Reproduction + Lamb Growth + Adult Size + Wool + FE Tolerance)
Winner: ARDG (Romney), R & G Alexander, Tirau
Commendations: MNCC (Coopworth), AE Dinger, Cambridge
ARDG (Romney), RL & A Steed, Whangarei
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Super Sires
Terminal: 2960.101/03 (Texel), WTD, D Clarkson, Wairarapa
Dual Purpose: 712.5203/04 (Coopworth), Marlow, S Wyn-Harris, Waipukurau
Dual Purpose High Performance: 712.5203/04 (Coopworth), Marlow, S Wyn-Harris, Waipukurau
Dual Purpose plus Meat Yield: 712.5203/04 (Coopworth), Marlow, S Wyn-Harris, Waipukurau
Dual Purpose plus Worm FEC: 406.486/07 (Romney), ARDG, R &G Alexander, Tirau
Dual Purpose plus FE Tolerance: 2529.152/07 (Romney), ARDG, RL & A Steed, Whangarei
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