HUNDREDS of people are expected to flock to the Bendigo Exhibition Centre on Wednesday as a major event for the Victorian sheep industry gets under way.
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The annual BESTWOOL/BESTLAMB conference will feature three keynote speakers, as well as several concurrent sessions on a wide variety of topics of interest to meat and wool producers, which attendees can choose to attend.
The first of the speakers at this year’s event will be Rabobank commodity analyst Georgia Twomey, who will cover the current and potential opportunities in domestic sheep markets.
"While the supply story is a critical component, it's interesting to note how the market is impacted by the shifts in demand for different products and attributes which are not just confined to the wool market but can be seen in protein and grain markets as well," Ms Twomey said.
Ms Twomey will be followed at the day-long conference by Mark Ferguson from NZ Merino, who will deliver a talk on designing sheep to be fit for purpose.
Jim Mulvaney from OMJ Consulting will also speak, discussing the key elements of the farming business that need to be strong for it to be resilient.
The 12 concurrent sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including the role of fibre in the sheep diet, sheep handlers, boosting production from merinos, worms, weed control and potential uses of drones for sheep farmers.
The conference will be opened with a dinner at Bendigo Town Hall on Tuesday night, with Dr Charles Milne, chief veterinary officer with the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, speaking at the event.
BESTWOOL/BESTLAMB is a self-directed learning network for Victorian meat and wool producers, organised by Australian Wool Innovation, the Department of Primary Industries, and the Livestock Group of the Victorian Farmers Federation.
Neighbourhood discussion groups are central to the network, with members meeting regularly for discussions, farm walks, training sessions and information workshops.
Members identify key issues and the best learning approaches that will help them reach their business goals.
The sheep meat and wool industry is Victoria’s third-largest agricultural industry by value.
In 2013-14 the gross value of meat production was $923 million and the gross value of wool production was $574 million.
Victoria is Australia’s largest lamb and mutton producing state, responsible for 44 per cent of Australia’s lamb in 2012-13, and is also one of the world’s largest suppliers of sheep meat.
