The Welsh Sheep Genetics Programme (WSGP) is delivering measurable financial benefits for Welsh farmers while placing Wales at the forefront of global livestock innovation, according to a recent review of the initiative.

The programme, delivered by Mentera through the Welsh Government’s Farming Connect scheme, now encompasses 87 performance-recording flocks across the country, covering more than 14,500 ewes. Analysis shows that participating farms are seeing an average annual margin uplift of £50,750, with an average gain of £3.50 per ewe. Productivity improvements include an extra kilogram of lamb weight and a 3 per cent increase in lamb survival.

Will Sawday, a sheep farmer from Hay-on-Wye, said the programme had transformed the way he approaches flock management.

“We have been performance recording for 30 years and it has become an integral tool for our genetic improvement. For maternal traits, we have found that using solely your eyes as a measure is not good enough,” he said.

“I am so pleased and grateful to be a part of this programme. It has brought so much value to our business in allowing us to record for many more traits and collect much more data that I otherwise wouldn’t have done. I can already see the genetic improvements.”

“The WSGP has allowed us to take our performance recording to another level. We are not only collecting more of the same data, improving genetic progress in our current traits; but we are also collecting data on new traits such as methane emissions that will improve future business resilience for our customers.”

The programme is also pioneering the use of Genomic Estimated Breeding Values (GEBVs), introduced in June 2023. This represents the first deployment of genomics in sheep globally. WSGP data now accounts for 70 per cent of the UK’s national sheep genotypes, with over 77,000 genotypes collected to date.

Among the innovations being trialled are tools to select animals less susceptible to gastrointestinal parasites, and research into breeding sheep that produce lower methane emissions, addressing both productivity and environmental challenges.

Eirwen Williams, Director of Service Delivery (Rural Programmes) at Mentera, celebrated the success of the programme, and highlighted what this means for Welsh sheep farmers moving forward.

“Genetic improvement is a proven, effective means of improving the sustainability of our hill and maternal flocks,” she said.

“The financial support from the Welsh Government through Farming Connect has meant our team has been able to help Welsh farmers make progressive leaps forward in the field of sheep genetics, highlighting the benefits of core performance recording, as well as harnessing ground-breaking technologies which could transform the industry here in Wales.

“The progress made in farmer engagement, data collection, and the introduction of cutting-edge genomic tools is a testament to the effectiveness of the WSGP. By working closely with Innovis and AHDB-Signet throughout the programme, advances have been made which will help unlock the full economic, environmental, and welfare potential of genetic improvement and ensure Wales continues to lead this innovation on the global stage.”