Projects

Objective:

To provide a single national genetic evaluation for a comprehensive range of traits for each of the three main sheep groups, terminal sires, dual purpose breeds and Merinos. The project has adoption targets of over 50% of rams sold annually in Australia having ASBVs by 2009.

Collaboration:

This frontier technology was developed jointly by Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA, together with industry).

Results:

SGA is now the world’s largest sheep genetics database. The new service and a single language for sheep – Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) were launched in October 2005. ASBVs will be used by ram breeders and commercial producers to compare the genetic potential of rams and ewes for a range of industry agreed traits, across flocks, independent of the environment and location.

Measures of Success:

The number of animals being analysed now exceeds 2.5 million.

To date (2006) over 35% of Merino rams and 30% of maternal sires have ASBVs. The target is 50% by 2009.

Modelling work in the Merino industry carried out by Consultants Holmes and Sackett, suggests that if the entire Merino industry used SGA to reduce fibre diameter by .93 micron, the benefits to the industry would be $420 million.

After adjusting for the likely adoption rate and the success of the project the value to the Australian merino industry alone is an upper bound of $150 million.