Australian Merino Production Trial convenor Craig Wilson speaks at Campbell Town Show

For the past two decades, Craig Wilson has been helping sheep producers improve their flocks and increase their value.

Mr Wilson is the convener of the Australian Merino Production Trial (AMPT), which was the focus of the ag forum at this year’s Campbell Town Show.

Each trial lasts around two years and requires each producer to submit 30 sheep.

The Merinos are two groups, with 15 wethers allocated to the Fletchers’ feedlot at ‘Kiargathur Station’, Condobolin, and the other 15 wethers run on pasture for two years at either Yorke Peninsula, SA, Kiargathur Station, Condobolin, NSW or Temora Ag & Innovation Centre, Temora, NSW. 

At the end of the trial, producers are given data about the genetic capacity of their sheep to enhance future profitability, with the hope they will be able to get more money for their merino’s wool and meat.

Mr Wilson said it was key for producers to benchmark their Merinos, which involves evaluating their flock’s financial, production and genetic performance against industry standards or top-performing peers.

“If you are prepared to spend a lot of money on your rams, you should also be prepared to benchmark your product, because if you spend lots of money and don’t get the result, that’s an even worse result to me,” he said.

The success of a flock, according to Mr Wilson, was dependent on a producer’s attitude.

He also said it was easier to make changes with a flock of 2000 ewes than with someone running 10 times as many sheep.

“The reality is that if you’ve got 20,000 sheep and you make small changes, it adds up very quickly because your cost structure doesn’t change,” he said.

“The implication for the bigger guys to make very small investments and then make some significant change is enormous in their business.”

Mr Wilson said the AMPT was not about “winning or losing”.

“It’s just about understanding where you are.

“We present the information where you can see how your sheep have performed in comparison with others.”

The next two-year window of the AMPT starts in April 2027.

Merino producers who want to be part of the trial can register on the AMPT website.