Plans in place for Producer of the Year

The Producer of the Year replaces the historic WAMMCO State Prime Lamb Carcase Competition which was one of Australia’s largest and richest prime lamb competitions.

Mr MacRury said the 2016/17 year was not without challenges but the excellent 2016 winter/spring period had lifted the average weight of lambs processed at Katanning to more than 23 kilograms and the average prices paid for lambs throughout the season were among the highest paid by the co-operative since its inception in 1999.

Mr MacRury encouraged producers to accept WAMMCO’s offer to tour the processing plant as part of the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale.

“Producers will see first-hand the greatly enhanced product now flowing from our new $12 million VRT cold chain investment and how the system is now being extended to allow for the hot boning of mutton carcases,” he said.

Supply development manager Rob Davidson said he expected a seamless transition from WAMMCO’s previous carcase competition to the Producer of the Year.

“We have adopted similar criteria for the Producer of the Year that we introduced last year for the Producer of the Month,” Mr Davidson said.

“The emphasis of the new annual award focuses on defect free, 18.1-28kg fat score two and three carcases.

“By increasing the number of lambs meeting the Producer of the Year specifications it resulted in increased efficiencies in both the processing and marketing arms of the co-operative.”

Mr Davidson said crossbred and Merino lambs would be judged separately within the Producer of the Year and that entries would be split into various categories based on their annual lamb turn-off.

The Producer of the Year award is sponsored by Farm Weekly, Elders, Primaries, Stud Merino Breeders’ Association of WA, Zoetis, Elanco Animal Health, Jurox and WAMMCO.