ISSUE 68 SEPTEMBER 2016 PROFIT FROM WOOL INNOVATION www.wool.com HIGH PERFORMANCE MERINO JACKET 24 32 34 SUPERFINE MERINO CANID PEST BREECH FLYSTRIKE HELPS SKIN HEALTH EJECTORS FOR BAITING PREVENTION R&D 24 SUPERFINE MERINO 34 BREECH FLYSTRIKE EXECUTIVE EDITOR HELPS SKIN HEALTH PREVENTION R&D Richard Smith E [email protected] CONTRIBUTING WRITER OFF ON Lisa Griplas -FARM -FARM E [email protected] 4 International Woolmark Prize 28 Case study: Jeremy Lefroy, WA Australian Wool Innovation Limited A L6, 68 Harrington St, The Rocks, 6 Britain: Agi & Sam 30 Smart farming with drones Sydney NSW 2000 GPO Box 4177, Sydney NSW 2001 7 China: Comme Moi 31 Lifetime Ewe Management P 02 8295 3100 E [email protected] W wool.com AWI Helpline 1800 070 099 8 USA: Jason Wu visits Australia 32 Canid Pest Ejectors SUBSCRIPTION 9 Australia: Brigid McLaughlin 33 New guide to baiting Beyond the Bale is available free. To subscribe contact AWI 10 China licensees champion wool 34 Breech flystrike R&D Technical Update P 02 8295 3100 E [email protected] 11 China media tour to Australia 35 Breech modification alternatives Beyond the Bale is published by Australian Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI), a company Breeding for breech strike resistance funded by Australian woolgrowers and the 12 The Wool Lab hits 5-year high 36 Australian Government. AWI’s goal is to help increase the demand for wool by actively 13 Suitsupply media tour to Biella 37 Pain relief product update selling Merino wool and its attributes through investments in marketing, innovation and 14 Education highlights 38 Early season flystrike prevention R&D – from farm to fashion and interiors. 16 Wool Resource Centre in Hong Kong 40 Making More From Sheep program COPYRIGHT Material in Beyond the Bale is copyright. 17 Flinders Merino in Hong Kong 41 Australian Rural Leadership Program Reproduction of the material is encouraged. However prior permission must be obtained 18 adidas expands its Merino range 42 Hay Rural Education Program from the Executive Editor. DISCLAIMER 19 Fibre of Football 43 Horizon Scholarship To the extent permitted by law, Australian Wool Innovation Ltd excludes all liability 20 Australia cricket jumper 44 Phosphorus on native pastures for loss or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information contained in 21 Merino boxing top packs a punch 46 Merino Sire Evaluation this publication. The Woolmark symbol is a registered Hedrena and AWN join forces 48 Shearer and wool handler training trademark of The Woolmark Company Pty Ltd. 22 © 2016 Australian Wool Innovation Ltd. All rights reserved. 23 Apparel care event in China 49 Competitions promote excellence ADVERTISING SALES 23 Millinery masterpieces in wool 49 Safety and sheep welfare poster Max Hyde, Hyde Media Pty Ltd P 03 5659 5292 24 Superfine Merino and skin health 50 Case study: David Taylor, Tasmania E [email protected] Advertising is subject to terms and conditions Market Intelligence published on the ratecard, which is available 26 Aumore Wool’s bedding 52 from Hyde Media. 27 Il Gufo's children’s range 54 Market insights from John Roberts ISSN 1447-9680 27 Little Pawpaw’s babywear range 55 Readers’ photos FRONT COVER Pictured are three generations of woolgrowers at 'Boortoik' in western Victoria – Andrew, Will, Bec and Ric Manifold – sporting the new Woolmark AWI INVESTMENT STRATEGIES Optim WR jacket. The 100% Merino wool fabric Processing Sheep Woolgrower Business used in the jacket is water and wind resistant; the Marketing Innovation & fabric has recently been commercially launched Production Services Education Services and is being used in both the fashion and outdoor Extension markets. The Woolmark Optim WR jacket has been produced exclusively to enable wool levy payers to experience the benefits of Merino wool WOOL.COM WOOLMARK.COM in an innovative way – see the back cover to find out how you can purchase it. To subscribe to the free monthly AWI e-newsletter MERINO.COM for woolgrowers, and the weekly wool market review e-newsletter, visit www.wool.com/subscribe facebook.com/TheWoolmarkCompany twitter.com/woolinnovation twitter.com/woolmark youtube.com/AWIWoolProduction instagram.com/TheWoolmarkCompany youtube.com/TheWoolmarkCompany View Beyond the Bale online with image galleries BtB and video at http://beyondthebale.wool.com GD2168 UPFRONT 3 GETTING ON WITH BUSINESS We are continuing with initiatives to help increase the demand for wool through investments in marketing Stuart McCullough and R&D – from farm to fashion. Chief Executive Officer Australian Wool Innovation AWI THREE YEAR decision on a WEP and for this decision CANID PEST EJECTORS to be provided by the time of AWI’s Annual STRATEGIC PLAN General Meeting (AGM) on 18 November TO COMBAT WILD DOGS Our Strategic Plan for the three financial this year. An efficient tool for delivering 1080 into years 2016/17 to 2018/19 was released on 1 the mouths of wild dogs and foxes is now July and is available on the AWI website at FLYSTRIKE R&D REMAINS available across most areas of mainland www.wool.com. We consulted widely with HIGH PRIORITY Australia. Canid Pest Ejectors are baited, woolgrowers and their representatives to spring-activated devices that propel the ensure that industry views are incorporated Animal health and welfare is AWI’s highest toxin directly into a predator’s mouth as into the plan. Through AWI’s extensive research priority. Since 2005, AWI has invested it pulls upwards on the bait. They are an Planning and Consultation Cycle, we will $59 million in animal health and welfare additional control method – along with continue to ensure that woolgrower levies are research, development and extension (RD&E), regular ground and aerial 1080 baiting, directed to projects that deliver the greatest including more than $34 million on flystrike new PAPP baiting, trapping, fencing and value to woolgrowers. An overview of the prevention. AWI remains committed to the shooting – available to woolgrowers and Strategic Plan was posted to recipients of RD&E program to both reduce the reliance other landholders to reduce wild dog and Beyond the Bale along with this edition. on mulesing and improve the lifetime welfare fox numbers. outcome of sheep. At the National Wool HIGH PERFORMANCE R&D Technical Update on Breech Flystrike SUPERFINE MERINO JACKET: OFFER FOR Prevention held in July (see page 34), GOOD FOR SKIN attendees heard about the progress of HEALTH WOOLGROWERS industry initiatives including breeding for In positive news for the wool industry, AWI- Uses the latest OptimTM technology, Merino flystrike resistance, the liquid nitrogen process, funded clinical studies have demonstrated wool is able to be woven into an immensely and two Meloxicam products Buccalgesic® and that suitably selected Merino base-layer dense fabric that is more resistant to water Metacam® 20. AWI supports all woolgrowers in garments are healthy and therapeutic for and wind, while retaining all of Merino wool’s their choice of best practice animal health and the skin, especially for those with the most fine properties, such as breathability. The welfare control options to manage flystrike. sensitive skin such as eczema sufferers 100 per cent Australian Merino wool fabric (see page 24). The aim of the research is has recently been commercially launched AWI GENETIC to ultimately open doors to new markets and is being used in both the fashion and INVESTMENTS for wool such as babywear, sleepwear and outdoor markets. To enable wool levy payers The existing Sheep Genetics business plan underwear as well as base layer activewear. to experience the benefits of Merino wool has concluded successfully, particularly from These are relatively new markets for wool, in this innovative way, at cost price, we have a wool industry perspective. For the five years containing products that are used every day produced an exclusive jacket – the Woolmark from July 2011 to June 2016, Merino breeder and can command a high retail price per Optim WR jacket – that is now available for membership in MERINOSELECT grew at an kilogram of fibre used – which is good news purchase online at www.wool.com/woolstore. average of 8.8% per annum. Sheep Genetics for Australian woolgrowers. See the back cover for further details. cost recovery targets were comfortably WOOL EXCHANGE exceeded in each of the past two years, which AWI ANNUAL GENERAL demonstrated to AWI that the program is MEETING (AGM) PORTAL self-sustaining. As a consequence, AWI has The AWI 2016 AGM will be held on Friday determined that the MERINOSELECT service AWI has engaged a Wool Exchange Portal 18 November at the Swissotel Sydney no longer requires financial subsidisation, and (WEP) Working Group to assess the viability at 68 Market St, Sydney. Formal notice AWI funding is exclusively focused for genetic of the major recommendation of the Wool and meeting papers will be sent to AWI research and development activities aligned Selling Systems Review (WSSR): the creation shareholders in October. AWI shareholders with AWI’s Strategic Plan targets. This includes of an online WEP. The WSSR Panel’s Final who are unable to attend the AGM in person expansion of the Merino Lifetime Productivity Report (available at www.wool.com/wssr) will be able to view the AGM proceedings via project; support for Merino Sire Evaluation stated a WEP would address a number of webcast. Further details are available on the (see page 46); Merino Bloodline Performance issues raised by industry, including reducing AWI website at www.wool.com/agm. The AWI evaluations; development of new, low cost transaction costs and digitising the exchange 2015/16 Annual Report will also be released commercial technologies for parentage of wool whilst creating greater transparency in October. in the process. The Working Group has been determination and other targeted research asked to provide AWI with a clear yes or no approved on a case by case basis.