Abstract

The New Zealand Merino Company Limited is leading a programme to create new opportunities and value for New Zealand’s sheep industry by transitioning growers to finer-wool genotypes and enhancing productivity on current and future fine-wool farms. This paper describes the approaches being undertaken to effect these changes and in doing so grow the value of the fine-wool sheep industry of New Zealand. A strategy has been developed that is focussed on changing the knowledge, attitude, skills and aspirations of producers and their key influencers. The strategy has a range of activities that can be grouped into the broad areas of development, awareness, recruitment and engagement. Importantly the on-farm strategy is matched with significant investment in careful product differentiation and improvement of the flow of information and value through the supply chain.

MB, Ferguson, S Rutherford, N Hamilton, M Hargadon, and JP Trompf

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 74, Napier, 191-195, 2014