CANBERRA – A new report makes a compelling case for Australia’s wool growing industry to ditch mulesing in favour of breeding flystrike-resistant sheep, having surveyed 97 native producers who’ve already made the switch and found it to yield greater profits, whilst increasing lamb growth rates.
Towards a Non-Mulesed Future, by socioeconomic consulting firm BG Economics, with support from Humane Society International (HSI) and Four Paws, sheds light on the experiences of the 14 per cent of Australian wool growers to have eradicated the controversial practice of mulesing.
Charles Massy, wool grower and author of Breaking the Sheep’s Back commented: “This [report] clearly confirms, first, that woolgrowers responding to customer demand for better animal welfare by eliminating mulesing find it profitable to do so; that transitioning to plain-bodied Merinos that don’t need mulesing is achievable within five years; and moreover, that this transition is not costly.”
