Many sheep farmers are now relying on dairy grazing to support their sheep habit and many more are going to the dark side and converting. But it’s not all bad.
In an article on pg 20, AbacusBio scientist and consultant Peter Fennessy makes the point that dairy farming has played a key role in driving sheep production. Sheep farmers, through dairy support, have lifted their pasture management game.
Certainly the ewe cannot be blamed for the industry’s inability to compete with dairying.
Year after year ewes faithfully produce lambs, milk and grow an extremely under-valued fleece.
Farmers have also continued to lift productivity, raising it 86% over the past 25 years as they embrace new technologies such as genetics, forages and management systems , all of which feature in this issue of Heartland Sheep, to try and increase profitability.
Go beyond the farm gate and things go pear-shaped.
It is interesting to read Terry Brosnahan’s article on China on page 14.
Sheep meat exports to this market have soared in the past 12 months and the Chinese are prepared to pay good money for what once were considered by-products.
It begs the question whether adding value, as so many processors and marketers are hell-bent on doing, is simply adding cost. Maybe New Zealand would do well to focus on new markets such as these that value the whole carcase, not just French racks.
Professor Hugh Blair from Massey University, who we profile on page 107, also sees the enormous potential offered by China and its sheep meat-eating neighbouring nations.
Let’s hope that potential can be realised sooner rather than later.
Fortunately there are people in this country who remain committed to the sheep industry and what it produces.
It is gratifying to see NZ marketing company Maxwell Rogers (pg 128) selling NZ grown and manufactured wool bed throws into top-end Chinese hotels.
Wouldn’t it be great if we all had NZ wool blankets and duvets in our homes and hotels? Maybe instead of picking up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket we could pick up a hot leg or shoulder of lamb.
We all need to take pride in what our sheep industry produces – it is, after all, the best in the world.
