Christmas Newsletter 2022

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ADBA Office
Christmas break – The secretary’s office is now closed for Christmas holidays and will reopen on Tuesday 10 January 2023.
 
MLA & Sheep Genetics Office
Christmas break – The MLA and Sheep Genetics office will be closed for Christmas holidays starting
Friday 23 December 2022 and reopening Tuesday 3 January 2023.
The first analysis for 2023 will be:
•    DOHNE MERINO – Friday 6th January

Councils’ Year in Review
Council has again this year, been working on behalf of all members to promote the Dohne breed, uphold breed standards and ensure that the Dohne breed and the Association has a positive future.
In addition to Councils’ ongoing standard operations of facilitating the ADBA, the appointment of Kate Brabin (AOK) to undertake a review of both the Councils operations and improvements that can be made within the breed, has been a positive step. Ms Brabin is in the process of providing a report from her independent review, and this will be thoroughly considered at the Council Face-to-Face meeting in February.
2022 saw a change in format of the annual Dohne Journal; with the Promotions Committee and Australian Community Media (ACM) collaborating to create a National Dohne Liftout that was released in July. The circulation was much greater than what we achieve by distributing to individual studs, and I would like to thank all members who contributed to this publication which was distributed via The Land, Stock & Land, QLD Country Life, Sock Journal and the Farm Weekly. 
The Sire Evaluation Trial at Coonong Station in NSW, had its first open day in June. This day included; guested speakers, trade displays, progeny displays, plus progeny reports provided by AMSEA. A great day was had by all. Reports on this trial can be found in the “Merino Superior Sires Number 28/2022” issue, with a very positive write up on the Coonong Dohne Trial.
We look forward to a prosperous and fulfilling 2023, and wish all members and their families a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Rachel Browne, ADBA President

States’ Year in Review New South Wales
Hello everyone, another year nearly done, probably the wettest year for most in a long time.
Floods, flies and worms seem to be the order of the year, but we have made it through a pretty rough time. Sheep, lamb and wool prices have taken a fall since last year but have recently moved back off their lows so hopefully markets can move forward next year.
Once again ram sale results have been impressive for most although the clearance rates are back slightly on last year. In total 647 rams were sold from 714 offered. A top auction price of $8,000 was achieved by the Macquarie stud, followed by Gullendah and Calga with a top price of $6,000. The top average price was $3,181 at the Gullendah sale (well done), followed by an average of $3,000 by Macquarie Dohnes. Calga from Coonamble had an impressive jump of around $800 in their average price to reach a sale average of $2,818, so congratulations to the Calga Team.
I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and we hope that 2023 is a cracker for all Dohne breeders. David Berrell, ADBA New South Wales President

States’ Year in Review Victoria
By mid-year much of the West, South-west and Tasmania were approaching drought levels, when a late winter early spring produced some of the heaviest rainfalls ever recorded, especially along the river and throughout the northeast filling all State Dams to 100%, issuing some of the worst Riverine and Dryland crop damage in the State’s history.
Inexplicably a recent 40% fall has been recorded in the mutton market whilst lamb and cattle are stabilising at around 20% below last year’s high levels.
Although Victorian Dohne Ram Auction clearances have only slipped by 3%, the top and average prices have fallen respectively by $400 to $3600 and by $193 to $1582 with both achievements going to the Koonik/Hamilton Run Studs.
With one Sale lost from last year, two more are now in jeopardy after total State clearances dropped by 32% from 143 to 97.
Murray Rogerson, ADBA Victoria President