What could a profitable sheep enterprise look like in 2030?

At MLA Updates in Adelaide, Sheep Producers Australia CEO Bonnie Skinner shared her perspective on what a productive, profitable sheep enterprise may look like by 2030. 

Bonnie – on a panel with other red meat industry peak body representatives - said Australia is uniquely positioned to meet strong global demand for sheepmeat. She explained that speaking to producers across the country, the fundamentals driving profitability continue to be productivity, cost of production, labour efficiency and smart genetic decisions. While business models vary, the most resilient enterprises are those able to ride out volatility and consistently turn off more kilos per hectare, she told the room of up to 700 people. 

Key drivers shaping the path to 2030 include stronger carcase and eating quality traits, optimising reproductive performance, improving lamb survivability, and greater labour efficiency supported by technology and better data flow across the supply chain. Bonnie also highlighted the importance of moving towards the long-desired value-based marketing for the sheepmeat industry, giving producers clearer feedback to accelerate genetic progress and ultimately creating the incentives that reward carcase quality. 

As SPA leads development of The Future Flock - the national strategic plan - producer insights will guide how the industry captures these opportunities and strengthens Australia’s competitive position in global sheepmeat markets.