Continued investment in innovation is essential to the future of Australian sheep producers, Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) Chairman Ian McLachlan said today.

"We innovate or perish - both on-farm and post-farm," he said.

"If Australian Merino woolgrowers are to prosper as individual businesses and as an industry, then the industry must continue to invest in innovation," Mr McLachlan told more than 130 producers at a forum on AWI''s research station in the NSW Riverina.

"To this end AWI is focused on two key objectives - increasing demand for Australian Merino wool and finding better solutions to on-farm issues such as shearing, mulesing and parasite control, to name but a few," he said.

"In working to increase demand for Australian Merino wool, we are building alliances with designers, retailers, fabric manufacturers and garment makers, to get better performing Merino products onto the market.

"Whether it is the new application of existing technology or completely new developments, AWI is absolutely committed to getting performance-improving innovations to manufacturers and retailers."

The work AWI does to build demand includes everything from the development of innovative new yarns and fabrics that offer better drape, softness, handle, colour and easy care, through to point-of-sale marketing materials.

Examples include commercialising machine washable suits with leading Chinese manufacturer and retailerHeilan, developing softer and brighter new yarns with the Hong Kong-based Novel Group, the world''s largest spinner and knitter, and working with major US retailers to push total easy care knitwear in North America.
"Equally vital to building demand is improving on-farm productivity and fixing issues such as shearing and mulesing," Mr McLachlan said.

"In particular, we are committed to finding better shearing platforms that improve OH&S and efficiency, and importantly we are exploring all avenues in finding an alternative to mulesing.

"Exciting new genetics developments include two major investments with Meat and Livestock Australia - the Sheep Genetics Australia database that will create a national language for more accurate delivery of current genetic information, and the SheepGenomics program involving 10 leading research organisations that has the potential to deliver the next big gains for sheep producers in areas such as productivity, parasite control and wool quality.

"We simply cannot afford to ignore the gains to be made by investing in genetic improvement technologies and similarly we simply must find a solution to mulesing, we have to fix shearing and we must find better ways of dealing with problems such as worms, lice and flies."