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Farmers set to benefit from ewe efficiency project

Farmers set to benefit from ewe efficiency project

12 July, 2007

After a successful first series of workshops earlier this year, more FlockMaster™ workshops are planned around the country over the coming weeks.

FlockMaster™ is a Meat & Wool New Zealand funded initiative which AgResearch and PGG Wrightson will deliver as a learning and support programme designed to help sheep farmers improve productivity and lambing percentages.

AgResearch Senior Scientist Dr Robyn Dynes says flock efficiency is critical to the bottom line of sheep farmers and this is why they will benefit from attending the workshops.

She says the FlockMaster™ programme can be tailored to the individual needs of each farm and focuses on the four key drivers of flock efficiency: scanning percentage, ewe wastage, lamb survival and lamb growth rate.

“On every farm there are opportunities to increase profit by improving flock efficiency. The greatest benefits will occur when we diagnose the best opportunity to improve efficiency. To do this we may need to monitor parts of the production system we don’t currently. Once farmers know the critical drivers on their individual farms, they will know how to act to capture the benefits – FlockMaster™ will help them identify these drivers.”

Workshop attendees will be provided with a take home CD Rom containing background information and a software platform that will easily integrate with farmers’ existing farm management infrastructure. They will also take home a comprehensive manual containing principles of flock efficiency.

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FlockMaster™ will take a structured approach to show sheep farmers how to monitor and review their own flock productivity. It will assist farmers to consider their individual mob and sheep flock performance, compare this performance against their perceived potential and identify best opportunities to change.


AgResearch Senior Scientist Tom Fraser says that while some sheep farmers are suffering tough times through drought earlier in the year, this isn’t a good time to shut up shop.

“It is all the more important that farmers make stock as efficient as possible in tough times to help compensate for the lower schedule price.”

Tom Fraser says FlockMaster™ will not add cost but is about “making the best use of existing capital. It’s all about adding to the bottom line.”

Dr Dynes says while there have been huge gains in ewe efficiency over the last 15 years, farmers need to become even more efficient to meet the challenges of the international market-place.

“During these workshops we will show farmers the key principles impacting on ewe efficiency and give them tools to monitor their own flock, diagnose best opportunities and act to change flock performance.

“Nutrition, genetics, farm management systems, the types of rams used, pasture condition and conditions unique to individual farms all impact on ewe efficiency,” she says.

For more information about workshops phone 0800 FORFLOCK (0800 435 625) or email flockmaster@agresearch.co.nz

ENDS

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