neXtgen Agri

Tune in to the latest episodes from the Fibre Frontier podcast: * Dr Bruce McGregor is Australia’s leading fibre animal scientist. With decades of research, hundreds of published papers and a devotion to rare fibres, Bruce’s episode is sure to pique your interest. * Dr Mackie Hobson is the Industry Veterinarian for the South African Mohair Growers' Association. South Africa is the largest producer of mohair in the world. Mackie explains his role and how mohair production is done on their side of the world. Find these episodes from our fibre goat-specific podcast on your preferred audio app or visit the Goat Fibre Gateway to listen in: https://buff.ly/4aRZTyJ.

Last week, our Goat Fibre Program team and the Steering Committee met with project leads from NextGenAgri Limited to boost industry progress 🐐✨ Goats, fleeces, and a variety of goat fibre resources were showcased at the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show, highlighting industry opportunities 🌐💡 We're seeking more goat fibre producers to increased production of luxurious #Mohair and #Cashmere! 🚀🧶 Interested or want more info? Register to join this exciting industry here 👉 https://bit.ly/3Slhsjv

The Benefits of EID in Commercial Sheep Farming with Richard Subtil This week on the podcast we have Richard Subtil, from Omarama Station, a 12,000-hectare property in New Zealand's South Island. Over the last 26 years, Richard and his wife Annabelle have made incredible progress on the station, creating a sustainable and efficient operation for their children to take over. There is a vast range of environments found across Omarama Station, from tussock at 1,550 metres to 4,000 hectares of irrigated flats at 450 metres and “... everything else in between,” says Richard. Richard and Annabelle are big fans of adopting new technology and trying new ideas, including foetal aging at pregnancy. This has allowed for better management of the their livestock in the diverse range of environments on the property, explains Richard. “We will put those early twin-bearing ewes on the lower, better blocks that start to grow a bit earlier in the season and then they have access to lucerne paddocks below,” says Richard. “Then, [we can] bring the later lambing ewes down behind… that kind of thing. That makes a massive difference.” But it’s not just about making one-off decisions based on the data; data is recorded against each ewe for her whole lifetime. Richard explains: “Once we get that lifetime data, we can also make sure that we are rewarding those ewes that regularly give us early twins every single time, every year. Especially when, at weaning time, you look at a ewe and she's looking a bit tatty. Is that because she's a poor ewe or is that because she's worked really, really hard for you?” Without EID, it is impossible to keep track of so many variables to make an accurate assessment. When Omarama began using EID they classed these better-performing sheep as ‘Royals’. After analysing the data, the difference in performance was quite significant. “If we had been able to convert all the sheep on the place to Royals, there was $150,000 worth of profit, without spending a dollar more on animal health or feeding them more. It was just better sheep,” explains Richard. This just shows that by collecting and analysing lifetime data, collected on EID, it is far easier to make informed decisions that lead to better livestock management and overall efficiency. It is not only technology that makes or breaks a business though. Richard and Annabelle make use of their previous life experience in logistics to make the most of what they produce at Omarama, be it wool, lamb or beef. Richard discusses the importance of long-term contracts and partnerships with brands like Icebreaker and how they impact breeding decisions and the future of the farm.

Latest article is in the The Hub now - the summary is that we can’t whinge our way to a better future https://lnkd.in/gE3q87AH

The 200th episode of the Head Shepherd podcast is coming up! Over the years, Mark has spoken with many individuals in the industry, covering innovation in agriculture, breeding, research, on-farm stories and so much more. The podcast has evolved over time, grown a worldwide listenership and is currently ranked among the top podcasts in its category. To ensure you don't miss an episode, subscribe to the podcast. And, if you like, take a moment to rate it too. Most importantly, keep listening and providing your feedback. We always appreciate your comments; they have shaped the podcast, kept us motivated and sparked many new ideas. Keep them coming! This is a podcast we produce to make valuable information available to everyone: a podcast for you, for a better industry. Tip: the Head Shepherd website allows you to search for keywords if you're ever looking for a particular guest or topic. 👉 https://buff.ly/3DkRWDl. Do you have an all-time favourite episode? Let us know below.

It is time to announce the neXtgenMuster 2024! This is an event that gets better and better each year. In 2024, we are focusing on small-group learning and have reduced the number of speakers to make sure there is something new to learn for everyone, without the information overload. We have had great feedback - both from employers sending their staff and individuals attending off their own bat - about how much they got out of the day in previous years. It's all about learning new tools for your #careerinag and coming along for a day of #networking. The following speakers will be presenting and demonstrating: 🧬 Our very own Dr Mark Ferguson and Will Gibson 📊 Craig Williamson, Agribusiness Manager at Rabobank New Zealand 🧶 The New Zealand Merino Company team 💉 Penny Mehrtens, vet and Livestock Technical Lead at MSD 🐕 Ian Stevenson, New Zealand dog trialist The day will be held at Stonyhurst in North Canterbury on Friday 16 August. Tickets are now on sale! Please visit our website to purchase yours: https://buff.ly/3LTh7PG. It's going to be a day full of fun, learning and networking, with food provided. The New Zealand Merino Company Allflex NZ MSD Australia & New Zealand Beef + Lamb New Zealand Rabobank New Zealand FarmIQ Systems Ltd Agtrac Services Limited

If you’re managing sheep, goats can be a strategic addition. Dr Mark Ferguson shares game-changing insights that can help you boost birth weights and productivity if you decide to incorporate goats. 🐐 🐑 Discover how small changes - like condition scoring your does just once within the year - can lead to significant improvements. It’s all about taking manageable steps to enhance your flock’s health and output. Remember, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Start small and see big results in the long run. Tune into the full video here: https://buff.ly/3xdmQxY.

The Science of Food with Dr Anneline Padayachee As food producers, should we know more about the nutrition of the products we produce? This week on the podcast we have Dr Anneline Padayachee, a food and nutrition scientist. We dive into the fascinating world of carbs, proteins, micronutrients and more, hopefully leaving you with a better understanding of the food we produce and eat. Anneline provides a brief history of nutrition science. This relatively new field emerged in the late 1800s, after the discovery of the elements of the periodic table, when it became possible to identify essential nutrients like amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Anneline says that nutrition science can be “ … a little bit behind … ”, as it is always reacting to changes in global diets. Nutrition science covers the whole spectrum of diets: from the worst that lead to disease and illness, to the best that lead to populations living well past 100. Anneline discusses the concept of ‘blue zones’, regions where people live significantly longer due to an active lifestyle, a strong sense of community and a diet rich in locally sourced, plant-based foods. Anneline is quick to add that while these diets are plant-based, they are not plant-exclusive, emphasising the importance of dietary diversity and moderation in consuming animal products. Mark asks Anneline the obvious question from a farming podcast: what is the truth about the role of meat in a healthy diet? “If you can eat meat, go for it,” says Anneline. “Red meat is nutritionally dense. And when I say nutritionally dense, think about a concentrated cordial versus a diluted cordial. The flavour is very different, you only need a little bit of that concentrate in there. It is very nutritionally dense in protein: it has every amino acid that our body does not produce. In addition to iron, which is absolutely essential, you've also got B12. Without B12, you cannot get the energy out of your carbohydrates, so it is absolutely fundamental. And red meat is our only source of dietary B12. There's no other way we can get it, except to take a supplement or get a shot from the doctor.” Anneline and Mark also discuss ‘lab-grown’ meat and cell culture technology in food production and how it might be used in the future. Whilst the costs to produce a kilogram of these novel foodstuffs are exponentially higher than that to produce beef at present, Anneline says there will likely be some highly useful applications of lab-grown meat, especially for the medical sector. But she finishes by pointing out: “In terms of feeding the masses, nothing is more efficient than a cow.” This episode offers a broad exploration of food science, nutrition and health with valuable insight into how to maintain a balanced diet amidst the noise of marketing strategies and fad diets. From the history of nutrition science, the intricacies of food production to practical tips for a healthy diet, this episode is one not to miss.

Last week at Benmore Station, Ferg and NZM kept us busy with their insightful back-to-back workshops on Merino body condition scoring & genetics. Watch Ferg's presentation on YouTube: https://buff.ly/45TQCo2

Dealing with footrot in your flock? Discover how genetic resistance can reduce lameness and enhance overall flock health. Join Dr Mark Ferguson and Ben Todhunter as they share practical solutions. Watch now: https://buff.ly/3VSMa4t 🐑💡