TOP SIRE 2025–2026 NSW PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE WELCOME TO THE 2025–2026 NSW SMBA TOP SIRE If I had remembered that I would need to write the opening credits for Top Sire, I may not have been as agreeable when I was approached to take on the Association’s President role. One month into the position and here I am facing my first hurdle ... putting down on paper my thoughts on the Association and the year behind us. I’ve had ten years on the Association’s board and three years as Vice President. From my perspective, there is no doubt that the strength of the NSW Stud Merino Breeders’ Association is in the combined skills, experience, knowledge, passion and commitment of the people in our membership and on our board. We are a mixed bag of breeding philosophies, business undertakings, operating scales, training, experience and outlooks. What unites us is our commitment to Merino breeding and our belief in the qualities of the Merino as a fundamental of agricultural productivity and profitability. Increasingly, we face obstacles as Merino breeders and as operators of Merino businesses. Alternative sheep breeds, engineered social pressures, Government policies, market whims and forces, increasing biosecurity costs, ever present seasonal challenges, invasive pest animals, disease threats, end point customers completely disconnected from agriculture and entrenched industry misconceptions top my list. There are plenty more. All have the potential to impact on the Merino industry and undermine the value of the Merino in agriculture, which has consequences for all stud and commercial Merino breeders. As an Association, we can unite to identify, assess and influence the outcome of the obstacles that come our way. More importantly, we can collectively work to inform of and promote the many, many strengths of the Merino and highlight the core value of the Merino in a range of commodities and production systems. We need to merge our efforts and passion to sustain and grow the Merino industry because, as a unified Association, we can co-ordinate research, education, promotion and advocacy that will benefit all players in the Merino industry. As I have said, we are an Association comprising a diverse group of people of differing doctrines and perspectives. Whilst we are in fact competitors in our individual business activities, we have a shared interest and commitment at an industry level. I have no doubt that if we are to influence the future of the Merino industry, then we are stronger and more effective, together. This belief extends to the establishment of a structure to combine the forces of the various state stud Merino associations to operate at a national level for Merino advocacy. Work is underway to form a new national body and the NSW SMBA is fully supportive of this. I would like to thank Drew Chapman, representing NSW SMBA, and the other state Merino representatives for their intensive consultation to establish the new organisation and I look forward to seeing it up and operating. Paramount to guaranteeing the Merino industry a future is the involvement of young and passionate Merino breeders, who bring a new perspective and fresh energy. The Association has been fortunate this year to bring Sam Picker, Jono Merriman and Mitch Rubie onto the board. I welcome their involvement and hope that we can entice more ‘young ones’ to contribute to the Association’s direction and decision making. The Association continues to encourage the participation of youth in the Merino industry through the sponsorship of strategic events. Over the past year we have provided support to the NSW School Wether Challenge at the Rabobank National Merino Show, were bronze sponsors of the Peter Westblade Scholarship, supported – 3 –
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