Yalgoo Genetics: Fast-tracking genetic gain with sheep flock

FAST-tracking genetic gain within their sheep flock is what stands the Nivison family of Yalgoo Genetics out from the crowd.

Family affair: Jock and Olivia Nivison with their children Frankie, 5, and Eliza, 3, and dog Roxy, have fine-tuned their Yalgoo Genetics operation at Walcha in northern NSW. Picture: Stefanie Cook

2017 SHEEP FARMER OF THE YEAR WINNER

YALGOO GENETICS

Jock and Olivia Nivison

WALCHA, NSW

FAST-tracking genetic gain within their sheep flock is what stands the Nivison family of Yalgoo Genetics out from the crowd.

Yalgoo, at Walcha, in the NSW Northern Tablelands region, is a diverse operation consisting of a Merino stud running 650 breeding ewes, a 6700-head commercial ewe flock as well as stud and commercial beef enterprises.

If that’s not enough, there’s also another stud Merino enterprise in Tasmania, Ashby Merinos, operated in partnership with the Bennett family at Ross.

Stud principal Jock Nivison said adding more value into the next generation of sheep was the aim at Yalgoo and the key to its success, with economics at the forefront of every farming decision.

“In my opinion the days of producing sheep for the lifestyle are over,” Jock said.

Jock said with prices farmers paid and received separating at a rate of 2.2 per cent annually and, with declining terms of trade, sheep breeders needed to make up at least this in genetic gain a year.

In 2012, in an attempt to maximise the traits that drive profit within their Merino operation, Jock introduced the Yalgoo7-15 selection index to move his sheep towards cutting 7kg of 15-micron wool — identified as a major driver of profitability.

All ewes have electronic tags and, as they come through the shed at shearing, have their fleeces weighed, fibre diameter and bodyweights recorded, and are ranked 1-3000 on the index.

Jock said the top 100-200 were eligible for ram breeding, the next 1600 retained in the commercial flock and the remainder surplus.

The establishment of the index has led to a $30 increase in fleece value and helped boost Yalgoo’s internal rate of return to an impressive 11 per cent a year.

The Nivisons are also leaders when it comes to marketing their wool. Yalgoo is a founding member of Tablelands Merino, a consortium of 12 wool growers providing buyers with a single point of contact to the largest pool of sub 17-micron wool in the world.

They have also formed an alliance with Norwegian garment maker Devold.

This forward-thinking approach, and desire to succeed, makes Yalgoo Genetics leaders in their field and deserving winners of The Weekly Times Coles 2017 Sheep Farmer of the Year.