AgForce's animal welfare policy for production livestock.

Animal welfare is a key priority for AgForce Sheep & Wool who support members to ensure good animal health and welfare is practiced from farm level and throughout the whole supply chain. Through peak bodies Sheepmeat Council and WoolProducers, AgForce is committed to achieving sustainable improvements to livestock welfare.

The peak councils recognise that improving animal welfare benefits the sheep industry and demonstrates to the community, consumers and international trading partners that Australian sheep producers are serious about caring for their animals. The industry invests heavily each year in research and development programs and initiatives to improve animal management, nutrition, health and welfare outcomes that are practical and effective for sheepmeat and wool producers.

AgForce Sheep & Wool is actively involved with the development and implementation of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS) and the Standards and Guidelines surrounding animal welfare. AgForce Sheep & Wool believes it is important to be involved in the development of the AAWS to ensure that the national strategy is relevant and practical to producers, while maintaining high animal welfare standards.

One of major animal welfare issues that faces the wool industry is mulesing. AgForce sheep and wool encourages woolgrowers to phase out mulesing as soon as practical. In recognition that there is no universally accepted alternative to surgical mulesing we encourage producers to manage breech strike in the most appropriate manner to their operation whilst maintaining the highest standard of animal welfare.

AgForce encourages growers to fill out the National Wool Declaration forms accurately in regards to No Mulesing (NM) and CM (Ceased Mulesing) as AWEX are conducting audits.