My name is Peter Thomas, and I recently joined the board of WoolProducers Australia, representing Agforce Queensland. Together with my wife Kimble and children, we run a merino enterprise at ‘Beaconsfield’ near Ilfracombe in Central West Queensland. Our operation typically runs around 12,000 merinos, along with rangeland goats and opportunistic cattle when conditions allow. I’ve worked across several agricultural sectors—from jackarooing on merino studs in the NSW Riverina, t

Footrot is an inflammatory bacterial disease effecting the feet of sheep. More extreme (virulent) cases can result in detachment of the horn of the hoof, leading to lameness, ill thrift and secondary conditions, such as flystrike. Meat and Livestock Australia found that the economic cost of (benign and virulent) to the Australian sheep and wool industry is $83.4 million p.a. WoolProducers, General Manager, Adam Dawes said, “We regularly engage our members and have consistentl

At the recent 94th annual Congress of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), I had the opportunity to deliver a presentation on how Australia’s biosecurity systems help to protect the supply of wool, and how enhancements such as the Australian Wool Traceability Hub continually strengthen this system. With increasing and evolving global trace patterns, so is the risk of animal disease spread. Key diseases that directly impact sheep (and specifically wool trade) in