TWICE a year, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation conduct the sheep producer intentions survey, and it is now open for responses for the rest of this month.
One of MLA’s essential roles is to collect, analyse and publish insights on the red meat industry and the SPIS is one of the sources on which its analysts rely to better understand the current, changing and future dynamics of the national sheep flock.
The SPIS is conducted each May and October and asks producers for their sentiment towards the sheep and wool sectors, current flock demographics and future intentions.
In October, all levy payers are provided with a survey which focuses on the lamb cohort, providing an estimate of the total flock size, a profile of the lamb flock and a measure of producer intentions for lambs and breeding ewes.
The October survey is followed by a producer update on lamb sales estimates, or PULSE Survey.
This month’s responses provide an estimate of the total flock size, a profile of the breeding ewe flock and measures of producer intentions for lambs, breeding ewes and wethers, with additional analysis on factors impacting on-farm decision making.
This data helps analysts improve analysis and forecasts and is used as a tool when developing MLA programs, ensuring adoption and communication efforts are matching industry sentiment.
You can complete the survey at https://surveys.intuitivesolutions.com.au/s3/SheepProducerIntentions-May2025-MLA
