New livestock innovations on show at Mundulla

Prime lamb sponsorship coordinator Tim Wiese says the idea to showcase the latest technology came from “thinking outside the square” to draw more people to the already popular Upper South East show.

“I’m always looking for the latest livestock equipment from drones to new apps so wanted to bring them here to our region,” he said.

“Where else can you go to see a prime lamb competition, sheep and cattle judging but also talk to people about ag technology, all within a 300-metre area?”

A few months ago, Mr Wiese began approaching industry innovators and is thrilled to have secured about 25 businesses and industry groups for the show on Saturday, March 2.

Exhibitors will include Stocka, a trading platform to guarantee payments for hay and livestock, from Gippsland, Vic, and the Airwell Group, which offers a range of water telemetry solutions.

Mundulla Show livestock coordinator Francis Andrews says they wanted to bring back the prime lamb competition after a five-year hiatus and saw an opportunity to build on it.

“JBS are always looking for good lambs and there are outstanding lambs that come out of this area at this time of the year,” Mr Andrews said.

“Our theory was to build it and they will come,” Mr Wiese added.

The committee has secured $10,000 worth of prizes for the prime lamb competition, including a hand-held scanner from Shearwell Australia.

Mr Wiese said there had been widespread interest from the Upper and Lower SE, Mallee and western Vic, and hoped to have about 30 pens of 10 lambs.

The three classes are crossbred trade lambs 46 kilograms to 52kg, Merino export 52-58kg and crossbred export 52-58kg with the target fat depth 8 millimetres to 15mm. The best pens of lambs from each class of on-hoof judging will progress to on-hook judging at JBS’s Bordertown abattoir.

Entries close on February 22.