52 | RURAL SERVICES » Alexander Farming Genetics Outlook for industry starting to improve Methane testing is the latest development Alexander Farming Genetics is involved with. Aimee Wilson One of the North Island’s most prominent romney sheep breeders, Craig Alexander, is confident the outlook for the industry is starting to improve after some tough years for farmers. Alexander Farming Genetics has been involved in Advanced Romney Designer Genetics (ARDG) almost since inception back in 1968, when Craig’s father farmed in the Taranaki. Moving to the Central Waikato 10 years later, the family’s 630ha property now has a mixture of 4000 romney ewes and 170 angus breeding cows, as part of an intensive breeding and finishing operation. “The biggest challenge for us is the dropping numbers of sheep in New Zealand and our increasing cost structure,” he said. Craig estimates sheep numbers would’ve dropped at least one million in the past year due to the change of land use in particular pine trees, and driving through the King Country and Waikato, he said the lack of sheep numbers is fairly obvious. “But we’re actually getting good returns right now (now over $8/kg).” Genetics has always been the way of the future in farming, and the Alexander’s have learned how to become more efficient in their operation. They also have a close relationship with Storth Oaks Angus who supply their herd with bulls with high genetic value. Three years after moving north, the Alexander’s became aware of what Facial Eczema could do to an unprotected flock, and now breed some of the most tolerant FE sheep in the country. Since 1986 they have been sporidesmin testing and as a result their sheep have the ability to come through some of the toughest FE years, showing no effect at all. Regularly supplying up to seven farms in the North Island with high performing ewes, the Alexander’s regularly achieve lambing percentages in the range of 150% to 160%. “We have bred a very robust sheep that withstands under those pressures of facial eczema and also worm resistance and produces to a high level”. Facial eczema costs the New Zealand sheep industry up to $322 million a year, but it varies from season to season and some years farmers could lose up to half their stock. Also becoming leaders in the field of worm resistance, with the help of Ag Research, Craig has made some large investments in that area. “We feel that this is one of the more challenging problems that New Zealand sheep farming faces in the years ahead.” He said people were running out of options to treat internal parasites, and they’ve done a lot of sampling on how they stand up against different drenches. Storth Oaks ANGUS Tim & Kelly Brittain 524 Paewhenua Rd, RD2, Otorohanga, 3972, New Zealand ph: +64 7 8732816 | mob: +64 275 935387 | www.storthoaks.co.nz | tim@storthoaks.co.nz Proudly powering Alexander Farming with top Genetics and improved returns. Fertility, Growth, Carcase Weight and Marbling ....You Can Have It All. Sale: Wednesday 4th June 2025 – 1pm on farm and Bidr We’re grateful for our ongoing partnership withAlexander FarmingGenetics. New Zealand wool deserves the best – so do you. For more information on howwe can help you visit: pggwrightsonwool.co.nz Scan for more information. “Now we’ve developed sheep that are looking after themselves at lambing and performing to high production levels.” Methane testing is the latest development Alexander Farming Genetics is involved with, and collecting the data to understand a sheep’s genetic makeup. “The science is saying that genetics in different animals will produce more or less methane. We’re making more rapid genetic improvements on a younger animal.”
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