THE South Australian sheep industry is uniting behind a new five-year plan to ensure it remains one of the state's major economic contributors.
On Friday last week, the SA Sheep Industry Blueprint Working Group met for the first time to start work on the plan to grow the industry's worth from $1.48 billion to $1.8b by 2020.
The process began in February when more than 50 SA sheep industry stakeholders and decision-makers participated in a scoping workshop initiated by Livestock SA and the SA Sheep Advisory Group.
They identified five key objectives for the industry's growth and development, including the need for more quality industry consultants and advisors, attracting new and energetic people into the industry, and better communication up and down the value chain.
The group will also be a conduit for greater research, development and extension collaboration along the value chain at the regional, state and national level and develop a measure of greater adoption and uptake.
Blueprint Working Group chairman and Moorlands sheep producer Allan Piggott says the plan will tackle key issues in a range of areas, such as biosecurity, access to capital, feedback to producers, welfare and environmental advocacy, succession planning and industry communication.
"Our vision is for a sheep, wool and lamb industry that is innovative and progressive and is delivering profit and sustainability to all in the value chain.
"The blueprint will be big on collaborative actions and tasks that will lead to outcomes for the next five years," Mr Piggott said.
"Specifically, our goal is to increase productivity and value by 20 per cent by 2020 and through the scoping workshop, we've identified ways to make this happen.
"As a farmer, you plan your day, you plan for your business's future and you plan to prosper. The SA sheep industry should not be any different. We need a plan to grow our industry, to leverage our SA sheep levies by collaborating with other stakeholders and investors and to maintain or gain our share of the SA workforce."
Mr Piggott said the Australian sheep industry was enjoying buoyant times but, like all industries, needed to plan for the future.
"Since each Australian farmer feeds 600 people - 150 at home and 450 overseas - an industry plan communicates to buyers of our products that SA farmers are professional and reliable food and fibre producers."
