Young north-east South Australian pastoralist Eddie Morgan is grateful his family, who have a long, proud tradition of wool growing, have stuck with Merinos.
Eddie, from Outalpa Station, via Olary, sees a golden period ahead with demand for wool exceeding supply and the national flock at such low numbers.
“The wool industry is great fun with great people involved but the most exciting thing is the returns that can be made now.
“Wool prices have been steadily climbing for the past couple of years and sheep prices are very good and the last five years we have had a run of consistent seasons,” he said.
Sheep and wool run strongly through the 27 year-old’s blood with his father’s family large-scale pastoralists in SA’s north east for well over a century and his mother a member of the Ashrose stud dynasty.
After leaving school Eddie worked in the wine industry for a couple of years but was drawn back to the family’s nearly 65,000 hectare station in 2011.
He spent 2013 in WA on Seven Oaks South Poll Merino stud.
This fostered his interest in genetics and he is now actively involved in running Mutooroo stud with John Manning.
The stud includes a nucleus of about 2000 top stud ewes which produce about 400 commercial rams for Mutooroo Pastoral Company’s three sheep stations – Mutooroo, Lilydale and Mulyungarie, as well as the Morgan family’s Outalpa Station.
Eddie says the stud has a strong Ashrose influence and sources top rams from Old Ashrose, North Ashrose, Greenfields and Collinsville studs.
“We are looking to breed a 21 to 22 micron, good all-round sheep which is robust for the eight inch rainfall environment,” he said.
Among Eddie’s career highlights so far are winning the 2016 Elders SA Young Woolgrower of the Year.
In February Eddie was part of a group of 13 young woolgrowers on a study tour to China visiting mills, knitting facilities and Australian Wool Innovation’s offices.
He says it really opened his eyes to the investment by the largest buyer of Australian wool through their supply chain.
“It reinforced how much money was being invested into wool processing and the versatility of products from sports clothes to undergarments and even sports shoes– wool has every market covered,” he said.
Eddie is really encouraged by the large number of young ones around his age group and sees the increasing role of women as a major positive, with their wool and stock handling skills