Sheep centre given $10m

Katanning’s status as a sheep industry hub has been taken to the next level after $10 million over four years was committed to the WA Sheep Industry.

Funded through Royalties for Regions, the Sheep industry Innovation Project will establish a sheep business centre at the Katanning Research Facility.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative last Thursday, Minister for Agriculture Ken Baston said the aim of the investment was to grow new markets for the sheep industry.

“We can look at an array of issues such as lambing percentages, science and linking in the markets and ways to increase productivity,” he said.

“We want to make sure that the animals we produce suit the market … It’s about controlling those genetics and increasing production and giving some faith investing back in the sheep industry.”

In the 2013-14 period, WA exported 1.8 million live sheep, worth $160 million, contributing 88 per cent of Australia’s total live sheep exports.

“We are just under 15 million sheep and basically we want to up that,” Mr Baston said.

Kojonup-based sheep producer and chairman of the Sheep Industry Leadership Council, Rob Edgerton-Warburton, said the funding would reinvigorate the industry.

“It’s great from the industry’s point of view because there is a lot of work that we have been wanting to get implemented,” he said.

“Getting more productivity from our ewes, and restoring a whole lot of confidence from the sheep industry to drive numbers … This is going to allow us to get a lot of that done.

“The other thing is it’s going to be great to have one hub for the sheep industry in WA where research is done.”

Shire of Katanning president Alan McFarland said it was “fantastic” such an investment was being made at the centre.

“We have shearing teams in town and surrounding areas, WAMMCO and Fletchers is not too far away ... we are at the centre of the universe when it comes to Merino sheep, which is great,” he said.

“No matter what, we have got this facility, it has not cost the ratepayers or industry anything, so we have a world-class facility that no one can take away.”

Cr McFarland said three to five staff would move to Katanning to work at the research facility.

“Hopefully they will bring their families with them — the more people brought into town will see a snowball effect in the community.”