Mapping the future of mulesing
The National Mulesing Assurance Program was launched in early 2006 to provide livestock contractors and woolgrowers who mules sheep with access to the most up-to-date and 'best practice' techniques
An initiative of AWI and peak grower group WoolProducers, the National Mulesing Assurance Program (NMAP) has proved a success with the industry and is now on the lookout for more participants.
Although the wool industry has committed to cease the current mulesing practice by 2010 - and research to find alternatives is well advanced - it is essential that a comprehensive training and accreditation program is in place in the interim, says Robert Pietsch, WoolProducers president and chair of the NMAP management committee.
"The wool industry has given a commitment to international retailers of woollen apparel to put in place an accreditation program, and it is also a requirement of the national code of practice for mulesing that was agreed to by state and federal governments last year," Mr Pietsch says.
"We are being responsive to our customers, who first and foremost are the retailers. I have attended meetings in both New York and London with a number of key retailers who all said that the continued use of Australian wool was dependent on the industry finding alternatives to mulesing and putting in place a comprehensive training and accreditation program until then.
"When you are in business you cannot afford to ignore a message from your customers as clear as that."
Once a woolgrower or contractor commits to undertaking the training by contacting the NMAP office, they receive a kit in the mail that includes the NMAP training manual (see below) and a series of assessment questions, which participants complete and return. If 85 per cent of the questions are correctly answered, they proceed to stage two.
Stage two is a one-day workshop, which involves half a day training followed by assessment by a qualified, independent assessor who supervises the entire mulesing process from preparation of equipment to the procedure and post-operative management.
Class sizes are small, usually 12 or fewer, and are arranged according to demand in particular areas. At the end of 2006, more than 600 growers and contractors were accredited.
The national code of practice for mulesing requires contractors to have been accredited by the end of 2006, while owner-operators must be accredited by the end of 2008. Therefore to date the focus has been more on getting contractors through the program, but from 2007 there will be an increased effort to attract growers who undertake their own mulesing.
Mr Pietsch, who runs a woolgrowing property at Glen Innes in northern NSW and has many years' experience mulesing, says that even the most competent operator can benefit from accreditation, beyond just the contribution to keeping markets for Australian wool open.
"The NMAP management group undertook an extensive process to make sure the manual and course content was just right in terms of content and usability, which has led to very good feedback from participants," he says. "Everyone I have spoken to has said they have gained something from the course, from how to sharpen or set their shears right, through to considering different post-operative management strategies. Even some of the little tips gained from the course can make the job so much easier and less stressful for both operators and livestock."
Mr Pietsch also suggests that even woolgrowers who rely on contractors for mulesing should register to receive the manual, which is supplied free.
"The manual is a handy tool to have as a reference even if you are not undertaking the operation yourself. It will help you understand what the best-practice techniques are that your contractors or staff should be using.
"It's about having sheep mulesed correctly by people who are highly skilled and are accredited to do so; there are very few industries these days which operate without some kind of accreditation, especially such a specialised procedure as mulesing."
But most importantly, concludes Mr Pietsch, the NMAP will contribute to improved animal welfare, which ultimately leads to increased productivity. "Maintaining market access and meeting the requirements of government codes are essential, but at the end of the day we are in the business of wool production and this cannot be done successfully or profitably without the highest standard of animal welfare practices."
More information: www.nmap.com.au; to register for accreditation, or receive a copy of the manual, call 1800 221 076
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