Introducing Awassi sheep to Australia: an application of farming system models
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-29-2000
Journal Title
Agricultural Systems
ISSN
ISSN 0308-521X eISSN 1873-2267
Keywords
Awassi sheep, Western Australia, Dryland farming systems, Farm economics, Farm profit, Awassi fat tail sheep
Disciplines
Agribusiness | Agricultural and Resource Economics | Agricultural Economics | Agricultural Science | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Sheep and Goat Science
Abstract
Awassi sheep are large framed, fat tailed sheep mostly grown and consumed in Middle East countries. To provide an opportunity for Australian farmers to sell these sheep to Middle East countries, in 1983 an Awassi fat tail sheep importation program was initiated. This program has enabled many Awassi sheep to be raised in quarantine in Western Australia. For the first time Australian farmers now have an opportunity to produce Awassi sheep. To help administrators and farmers determine the likely place and profitability of these Awassi sheep in the farming systems of Western Australia, farming system models were employed. Models of the dryland farming systems in three regions of Western Australia were augmented with Awassi sheep production options. Modelling results suggest that only modest price premiums for Awassi cross sheep are sufficient to ensure the Awassi sheep enterprise is a profitable inclusion in the farming systems of the southern and western wheatbelt regions of Western Australia, providing particular Awassi flock options are adopted.
Recommended Citation
R.S. Kingwell, A.K.Abadi Ghadim, S.D. Robinson, J.M. Young, Introducing Awassi sheep to Australia: an application of farming system models, Agricultural Systems, Volume 47, Issue 4, 1995, Pages 451-471, ISSN 0308-521X, https://doi.org/10.1016/0308-521X(95)92110-R.
