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Membership

Objectives

The SMBA is an association of stud breeders and as such, the organisation’s goals are to -

• To foster and encourage the breeding and improvement of pure Merino sheep in Australia and the maintenance of the purity and type thereof.
• To investigate the histories, pedigrees, purity and type of sheep registered or submitted for registration.
• To prevent sheep not being pure Merino from being sold or exhibited as such.
• To encourage agricultural and pastoral Societies to include classes for pure Merino sheep in their prize schedule.
• To encourage a high standard or integrity in the description and marketing of pure Merino sheep
• To pursue issues affecting the viability of the Merino industry
• To ensure the extension of information to the Merino industry
• To pursue acts and deeds for the progress and welfare of the Association.
• To act as WA State Committee of the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders.
• To do such other lawful acts and things as may be deemed incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above object or any of them..

Management

The SMBA is run by a voluntary Committee comprising four nominated Past-Presidents and sixteen elected members. The elected term is two years, rotating eight members each year. The President is re-elected annually for no more than two years in succession.

The committee usually meets in five times a year in February, April, July, October and December

Day to day running of the SMBA is conducted by the Executive Officer, Mrs Susie Lindley in close liaison with the Executive comprising the President, Vice President and Immediate Past President.

The office also liaises with other sheep and wool industry representatives, federal and state governments, government departments, scientific bodies, and the international community.

Annual General Meeting

ALL MEMBERS are welcome and encouraged to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is held in Perth during February.

Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders Ltd

The Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders (AASMB) is located at The Australian Merino Centre at Homebush Bay in Sydney.

Each State Association is a member of the AASMB and each State organisation contributes on a pro rata basis toward the financing of the national body.

The AASMB represents the interests of the national stud Merino industry, particularly focusing on export issues, quarantine procedures, live sheep exports, the activities of the Statutory Wool Authorities and their associated wool marketing functions, as well as government initiatives related to drought relief procedures, transport regulations and costs, and a range of other government requirements and regulations.

The AASMB is staffed by the Executive Director, Mrs Carol King and Administration staff, Mae Edenborough.

Export

Rams and semen may be sold for export only at designated export sales where quota limits operate. The Katanning Four Tooth Stud Sale is the only West Australian designated venue for export auction. Along with the AASMB, the SMBA is responsible for the proper conduct of the export requirements and guidelines.

Field Days and Sales

The annual round of district Stud Merino Field Days and multi vendor sales are organised by regional Associations. To participate, breeders must be a member of the district organisation.

Flock Register

The Australian Stud Merino Flock Register, is produced by the AASMB every three years on Compact Disc. It can also be accessed through this website under “Flock Register”.

Life Members

Life members and honorary associate members have been awarded in the case where meritorious service to the SMBA has been contributed.

Record Keeping

In order to collect, verify and publish information, a Vendor’s and Purchaser’s Certificate (VP) is issued at the point of sale of stud sheep and genetic material, and submitted with the purchaser’s Annual Return.

It is imperative that ALL ADDITIONS (purchases or gifts) of stock and/or genetics used in a stud are recorded on the Annual Return and recorded on the National Flock Register.

Vendor’s & Purchaser’s Certificates (VP’s)

Following are instructions for the completion of VP’s:

Shearing Inspections And Tagging For Show And Sales

The object of the shearing and tagging procedure is to:

• Ensure that purchasers at sales and invited judges at shows have no reservations regarding the validity of the sheep they buy and judge; and
• Give confidence to the industry as to the standards and integrity of the Stud Merino Breeders’ Association of WA Inc. (SMBA).

Shearing Inspection Tags are Compulsory for the Following Events:

SHOWS: i) Woolorama - all classes as in the schedule.
              ii) Perth Royal Show – refer RAS Show Schedule. (NB: Only tagged sheep are eligible for open championships)

SALES: i) Katanning - 4 tooth
            ii) Eastern States

All other sales and shows are as per respective association rules.

Sponsorship

The SMBA is involved in sponsorship of the Merino Sections of the Perth Royal Show, Wagin Woolorama, Katanning Sale & Show, as well as ewe hogget competitions and junior judging events.

Regulations

1. The Executive Officer shall notify all breeders prior to the shearing dates, advising both regulations and requesting tag orders.
2. Breeders are responsible for ordering tags, applicators and arranging Inspectors within the specified dates.
3. August Shearing – between 15 August to 15 September
   The sheep must carry wool which shall not exceed in length the equivalent of 1.25 cm at the fifteenth day of August. Regulation shearing is to cease on 15 September and tagging takes place between the fifteenth day of August and the fifteenth day of September. For each eight days after 15 August, 0.25 cm of extra length shall be allowed.
   NO SHEEP SHALL BE REGULATION SHORN AFTER 15 SEPTEMBER except sheep exhibited at the Perth Royal Show. These sheep to be inspected and tagged at the conclusion of the show.
4. March Shearing – between the 1 March –1 April.
   The sheep must carry wool which shall not exceed in length the equivalent of 1.25 cm at the first day of March. Regulation shearing is to cease on 1 April and tagging takes place between the first day of March and the first day of April. For each eight days after 1 March, 0.25 cm of extra length shall be allowed.
   
   Special conditions for sheep shown at Perth Royal Show
   All tagging and shearing to take place at Claremont by a specially appointed inspection committee.
   Sheep to be shown in Eastern States shows - shearing length must comply with the closing date of 15th
   September (being 2.25cm) and to be noted that they were shorn to that length on the
   shearing inspection certificate
   Sheep to be shown in Western Australian shows only: sheep may be shorn to the 15th August length. For each eight days after 15th August, 0.25 cm of extra length shall be allowed.
5. Inspectors - Breeders must arrange tagging with their nearest committee member of the SMBA. (A list of Inspectors will be forwarded to breeders requesting tags.)
   The Inspection Committee shall comprise two members of the Association, one of which shall be a committee member).
6. No Inspectors shall bear any relationship to the owner or have any financial interest in any flock submitted for inspection.
   No more than one member from any one stud may act on an Inspection Committee at any one inspection.
   Where circumstances are difficult for a SMBA committee member to act as an Inspector, they may nominate an ordinary member of the Association to take their position for an inspection. Such a nominee must, when signing the Inspection Certificate, endorse thereon the name of the nominating committee member.

Duties of Inspectors

• Ascertain that the sheep have correct specifications according to the wool length rules.
• Supervise the insertion of and correct numbers of the tags and DESTROY ALL UNUSED TAGS.
• Correctly fill in and sign the certificate, and forward the white copy to the office immediately.
• Inspectors must strictly apply the rules for wool length. Any sheep refused tags because of over length must be re-shorn and re-submitted to the original Inspector for inspection and tagging.
• Anomalies regarding inspection panel, tag number irregularities etc will render the particular sheep ineligible for relevant show and sales.

Annual Return

These yearly forms are in triplicate and forwarded to each member in December. Once completed, the original, the white copy, and VPs (if received), are returned together with payment of the annual subscription to the SMBA. The pink copy of the Annual Return is retained by the member for their record.

A penalty fee of $50 plus $5 GST is payable on late Annual Returns - those lodged after 28 February. If you have not received your Annual Return by mid January, contact the office for another form.

Remember to record ALL purchased (or gifted) stock and genetics on the Annual Return.

Key To Completion Of Annual Return

Annual Returns are distributed in December each year. Returns must be returned to the Merino Office accompanied by the appropriate subscriptions before 28th February of each year.

The Annual Return figures apply to STUD stock, not commercial flock sheep.

1. Stud Name, Flock Numbers, addressing details and notes are filled in by computer.
2. Update Addressing details, telephone email and facsimile information if necessary.
3. NUMBER OF EWES MATED FOR LAMBS SHOW BELOW - This figure can be less than total ewes and ewe lambs in the previous year’s summary of sheep but never more unless purchased and entered into areas 5 and 19.
4. LAMBS BRED - (ram & ewe lambs) Total bred/dropped for the year.
5. SHEEP BOUGHT - Entries here must be verified by Vendor’s and Purchaser’s Certificates (VP) and details recorded in area above for details of VP certificates.
6. SHEEP SOLD (7) - Stock sold for breeding purposes, including stock transferred to member’s own commercial flock. Do not include stock sold for slaughter, deaths or culls, or sheep already classed out of the stud.
7. SEMEN BOUGHT - Entries here must be verified by VP Certificates and details recorded in area for VP certificates. Do not include semen collected from your own stud rams. Purchases for the year must be included irrelevant if the semen was used.
8. SEMEN SOLD - Doses of semen sold for breeding purposes. Do not include semen collected from your own stud rams for use in either the your stud or own commercial flock.
9. SEMEN USED - Actual semen doses used.
10. EMBRYOS BOUGHT - Entries here must be verified by VP and details recorded in area for VP certificates. Do not include embryos collected from your own stud ewes. Purchases for the year must be included irrelevant if the semen was used.
11. EMBRYOS SOLD - Total number of embryos sold for breeding purposes. Do not include embryos collected from own stud ewes for use in either your stud or commercial flocks.
12. EMBRYOS USED - Actual embryos used.
    
    SUMMARY OF SHEEP AT 31 DECEMBER (8)
13. SIRES IN USE : Number of sires used in natural stud mating.
14. OTHER RAMS 1 YEAR AND OVER : Unsold rams from prior year, rams being prepared for shows, stud reserves, rams purchased during the year etc.
15. Ram lambs dropped minus deaths and/or culls by year end.
16. EWES 1 YEAR AND OVER : Stud ewe population minus deaths and/or culls.
17. Ewe lambs dropped minus deaths and/or culls by year end.
18. Total stud sheep population.
19. ADDITIONS FROM OTHER FLOCKS FROM 1ST JANUARY TO 31ST DECEMBER
    Record the breeding and sale information from VP Certificates and attach original certificate to Annual Return.
20. ADDITIONS FROM OTHER FLOCKS BY FROZEN SEMEN, AI OR EMBRYO FROM 1ST JANUARY TO 31ST DECEMBER
    Record the breeding and sale information from VP Certificates and attach original certificate to Annual Return.
21. CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP OR HISTORY IF APPLICABLE
    Any changes to be recorded in flock book and database, must be accompanied by a statutory declaration change of ownership/transfer form to be obtained from the state SMBA office.
22. BREEDING OF RAMS USED (9)
    Insert the name of the stud - NOT BLOOD - which bred sires and the number of sires from each source. The total number must equal number of sires in use in area 13. Where artificial breeding has been used, record the stud breeding of the sire (not blood) and indicate (AI) after the source. If sires used are your stud’s progeny then record your stud name under this section.
23. Subscriptions to be paid before 28 February. Annual Returns received after this date will incur an added penalty of $50. Attach payment of fees with Annual Return.
24. Sign & Date.

PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WHEN COMPLETING YOUR ANNUAL RETURN

Further Information Or Assistance

If members have any questions, they are invited to contact the Executive Officer, Susie Lindley.

Registered Office:
Merino House, Gate 1, Graylands Road, Showgrounds, Claremont
PO Box 135 Claremont WA 6010
Tel: (08) 9384 6466, Fax: (08) 9384 2606
smbawa@bigpond.com

© 2004 Stud Merino Breeders Association of WA