Information for yarn suppliers

Taking the initiative

Through Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), Australian woolgrowers and the Australian Government spend more than $7 million annually in animal health research, including better blowfly control and alternative flystrike prevention measures.

The sheep and wool industry recognises the need for alternative flystrike prevention measures and has committed to phasing out mulesing by 2010.

The Australian sheep and wool industry continues to promote and practice world's best practice in animal husbandry and welfare.

For more information about what AWI is doing to minimise flystrike in the Australian sheep flock view:

* Beyond the Bale - Read the latest updates on
  mulesing alternatives (April 2008, 146Kb pdf).

* Progress of mulesing alternatives - Find out
  more information on the progress of AWI's R&D
  on mulesing alternatives (126Kb pdf).

* Australian Merino Wool - What you need to
  know about the world's finest fibre (226Kb pdf).

* Road to 2010 - Fact Sheet (545Kb pdf)

* Battling the Blowfly - How AWI is helping
  develop tools to minimise flystrike.

* The AWI website.

The wool industry has united behind the Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce to counter PETA's untruthful and misleading campaign. Factual information and support is being provided to international and domestic retailers and consumers including information about Australia's world's best animal welfare practices.

How Australian farmers care for their sheep
The Australian wool industry has a positive reputation around the world for its animal husbandry practices, with the industry's success being based on producing healthy and contented animals. Animal health practices include shearing, drenching for internal parasites, spraying for external parasites including blowflies, crutching, vaccinations, nutrition (pasture management and supplements) and monitoring during lambing.