AWI Innovation in Action Forum
AWI’s ‘Innovation in Action’ forum held immediately prior to the company’s Annual General Meeting in Armidale on 14 November, gave producers an insight into how woolgrower levies are being invested to build demand for Australian Merino wool and improve on-farm productivity.
There were a number of information sessions and displays throughout the day on a range of topics including ‘New Fabric Innovations’, ‘New Markets for Australian Merino wool’, wool harvesting options and blowflty control technology.
A highlight was a ‘Merino in Fashion’ panel discussion with high-profile guests such as leading Australian fashion designer Jayson Brunsdon, who has dressed glamorous catwalk supermodels and other fashion icons including Her Royal Highness Princess Mary.
Mr Brunsdon joined other AWI partners including Polo Ralph Lauren’s P’go Lau, Driza-Bone chief executive Rod Williams, Nick Poole from Purely Merino and Eddy Yeung from Ferney Spinning to discuss key strategies about how they are working with AWI to boost demand for Australian Merino wool in the global market place.
Image right: Rod Williams, Jayson Brunsdon and P'go Lau
Woolgrowers also had the unique opportunity to meet the expert panellists, and ask questions directly about new markets for Australian Merino wool and touch and feel the latest product innovations destined for retail shelves.
The latest research in blowfly control in sheep – including plastic breech and tail clips – was also on show for woolgrowers. Jules Dorrian, AWI’s Project Manager for Blowfly Control, discussed and demonstrated the new breech and tail clips and latest injectors to sheep producers, who later had the opportunity to ‘touch and trial’ these promising initiatives for themselves.
"We also had animals on display that had been treated with the breech and tail clips so that producers could see how the clips are used," Ms Dorrian said.
Growers heard about why the latest technologies needed to be created, how they had been developed, predicted costs and animal welfare implications. The breech and tail clips are expected to become commercially available next year, and the injectable alternative within 2008.
Ms Dorrian said AWI research trials were showing favourable results, including superior growth rates among lambs treated with alternative blowfly control methods over those surgically mulesed.
Producers also saw demonstrations of the new Upright Posture Shearing Platform designed to make shearing more efficient and safer, and Sheep Genetics Australia.
See information on the 2006 AWI Annual General Meeting or see more Innovation Day images.
On the day...
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"The mulseing issue is a difficult one that is not easily addressed. I was happy to see that AWI is working towards alternatives that could benefit the industry and they were on show here today." Phillip Dutton, Salisbury Plains, NSW. |
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“Some of these new garments are just great; you’d never guess they were made of wool. It is exciting to see some of the new developments for wool fibre in the fashion markets. I must admit I was quite impressed with what I saw regarding this." |
I had a good look at the mulesing alternatives and I was happy with what I saw. It was good to have a go at the new clips and overall I thought the showcase of research was very interesting.” Brian Fittler.
See more images from the forum.