National Sheep Producer Survey to highlight trends in sustainability

Understanding sheep producer practices is key to supporting the sustainability of the industry.

Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation’s (AWI) biennial survey of sheep producers is now underway to benchmark and track the key metrics that underpin the Sheep Sustainability Framework (SSF).

Regular tracking of sheep producers’ attitudes and behaviours via survey-based methodologies helps ensure that progress against the four themes of the SSF – caring for our sheep, enhancing the environment and climate, looking after people, customers and the community, and ensuring a financially resilient industry – can be measured and that industry initiatives to drive change can be developed and adapted.

The most recent survey in 2022 involved 2,003 sheep producers, who were asked a series of questions online or over the phone, with results weighted by state, enterprise size and type. Producers were asked about topics including flock size, animal husbandry techniques, pain management practices, vaccination programs, property management and level of educational attainment.

The survey in 2022 provided many starting data points for metrics within the Framework and provided useful information on how sheep producers have adopted a wide range of sustainability practices and strategies in relation to animal husbandry, management and the environment.

This new wave of results will provide useful trend data to understand how the adoption of sustainability practices and strategies has changed. Furthermore, the survey has expanded its questioning on environmental management practices to help provide further information on activities and indicators in this area.  

Information from the survey will also be used to inform some of MLA and AWI’s on-farm programs.

The survey is open now – complete it by clicking here.