A CO-ORDINATED Statewide response to managing the dry season has been called for by The Sheep Alliance of Western Australia.
This week it called on its 50-strong membership base of livestock agents, universities, processors, exporters and grower groups to co-ordinate a response.
They would need to address strategies to feed pregnant and lactating ewes, feed budgeting, early weaning strategies and emerging animal health issues, it said.
Alliance chairman and Kojonup farmer Craig Heggaton called for expressions of interest in staging workshops and providing technical assistance on a workshop program to be lodged with executive officer Esther Jones on esther@bluesee. com.au.
“There will undoubtedly be organisations across the State already preparing to provide these services – and we are simply offering to take the role to co-ordinate the response and plug any gaps to ensure that all sheep areas that would value some technical assistance are able to access it as soon as possible,” Dr Heggaton said.
“We are looking to our members to help us quickly identify towns and regions that haven’t had any form of technical seminar in recent weeks to provide some guidance around nutrition, feed budgeting and any emerging animal health issues.
“There is a lot of expertise within our membership base and we simply propose to bring all parties together to make as much technical advice available to somehow try and lessen the impact of this season, which will be on-going into spring and summer.
“We would welcome any contributions as to the best way to mount a response – which in hindsight should have been done last month – but I think we were all in denial about facing up to another month without significant rain in many areas.”