Your industry. Your voice. Your future

Sheep Producers Australia works daily to ensure a productive, profitable and sustainable industry. This is achieved through SPA’s policy committees and the SPA board and working with members, service providers, government and many other partners. Sheep Producers Australia is the voice on issues that affect sheep production businesses. SPA does this through advocating for better business outcomes, monitoring investment of producer levies and improving information flow up and down the value chain. Sheep Producers Australia is the custodian of the Sheep Industry Strategic Plan (SISP), the blueprint for the industry’s future. This is delivered through consultation with industry and government to ensure levy investment is clearly directed and producers’ best interests are met through the provision of RD&E, services, programs and marketing.

SPA vision and mission

SPA’s vision is, “As the national body representing Australian sheep producers, SPA is trusted and respected by industry and government and is an organisation with which producers want to connect”. SPA’s mission is, “As a well-resourced and professional organisation, SPA provides reputable strategic and high level technical advice on behalf of sheep producers to government and industry service providers in order to position the Australian sheep industry for future success”. Sheep Producers Australia supports the sheep and live export industries and is the Prescribed Body for the sheep industry in Australia within the Red Meat Industry MoU under the Australian Meat and Livestock Industry Act. SPA has a legislative responsibility under the AMALI Act to recommend sheep and lamb levy rates to the Australian Government and provides policy recommendations to the Federal Minister for Agriculture.

Industry vision

SPA works to support the vision of the Australian sheepmeat industry that by 2030:

• Australian lamb is a highly valued meal across the globe and is recognised for its exquisite flavour, tenderness and consistency. While it commands high prices, consumers know exactly how the product will perform under given cooking methods. Australian lamb and sheepmeat products are trusted for their safety and their integrity, and are known to have come from farms that care for their sheep and for the environment in which they are raised.

• The Australian sheepmeat industry is a model of efficiency. All parts of the value chain are focused on satisfying their next customer and ultimately the consumer and each participant is rewarded according to how well they contribute to this goal. Product performance data flows seamlessly from seedstock producers through the value chain to consumers and back, creating a cycle of continuous improvement. Electronic data systems, measurement technologies, a comprehensive language and a culture of collaboration all enable and facilitate this flow. In particular, the exchange of information between producers and processors has been instrumental in improving product quality and consistency and reducing costs.

• Sheepmeat producers and their value chain colleagues are profitable and proud to be part of their industry. They are savvy business people applying cutting edge technologies to optimise their enterprises. At the farm level, genetics, pasture and animal management and the use of the latest information technology are all focussed on the one thing – improving the quality of the product.