DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FALKLAND ISLANDS GOVERNMENT

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREFALKLAND ISLANDS
GOVERNMENT

• Farming in the Falkland Islands

Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007
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Farming in the Falklands
Discussion
Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007
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Farming in the Falklands
Importance of Camp The Islands Plan confirms
that Camp will remain as a well-populated and
economically and socially sustainable community.
Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007
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Farming in the Falklands
Falkland Farming Business Plan VISION A
prosperous and self-sufficient agricultural
sector that creates opportunities for Falkland
Islanders and is highly valued locally and
internationally
Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007
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Farming in the Falklands

• What have we got?
• 1,140,500 hectares of organic farm land
• (half the size of Wales)
• 560,000 sheep
• 88 farms
• (majority family owned)

Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007
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Farming in the Falklands

• What have we got?
• 1,800,000 kg wool
• 6,000 cattle
• 314 people living on farms
• 35,200 sheep/lambs processed through EU abattoir

Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007
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Farming in the Falklands

• Where do we want to go?
• Gain organic status for wool and meat
• Increase production of finer, high value wool
• Increase production of lamb
• Work in harmony with the environment
• Maintain the Islands enviable disease reputation

Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007
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Farming in the Falklands

• How are we getting there?
• Introducing new genetics to produce high value
  wool, lamb and beef
• Farms changing to dual purpose breeding ewes to
  boost production
• Managing grazing to enhance the natural
  environment
• Increasing low cost improved
• pasture on farms to aid production

Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007
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Farming in the Falklands

• 150 years of farming history
• Landscape often harsh windswept
• Short growing season
• Resilient people and resilient livestock
• Domestic production with cattle, pigs, poultry,
  meat goats, horticulture
• Sheep system producing wool from Corriedale
  Polwarths

Opportunities for the Future
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Farming in the Falklands
Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007
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Farming in the Falklands1850 - 1982

• Export wool industry and small domestic meat
  industry
• Farming system evolved to match
• Breeding ewes to sustain the flock
• Maximise production of wool
• Economic conditions generally adequate

Opportunities for the Future
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Farming in the Falklands1850 - 1982

• Balanced flock structure

Opportunities for the Future
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Farming in the Falklands1850 - 1982

• High quality broad wool
• Few surplus animals for sale/culling, task to
  sustain sheep numbers
• Wool in the range 22 to 32 micron
• Wool used for heavier outer-wear, socks, hand
  knitting, furnishings, blankets etc
• Large farms with overseas ownership typical

Opportunities for the Future
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Farming in the Falklands1850 - 1982

• Limited use of synthetic fertilisers sheep lice
  and ked eliminated through co-ordinated farmer
  control programmes
• Sheep not housed, graze native pastures for the
  entire year
• One of the most naturally occurring organic
  farming locations in the world

Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007
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Farming in the Falklands1982 - 2007

• Planning and construction of EU approved sheep
  meat abattoir sheep meat now a business option
• Continued market demand for finer wool,
  particularly less than 25 micron
• Desire to move land ownership into hands of
  Falkland Islanders (FLH)
• Motivated farmers keen to re-examine the business
  of farming

Opportunities for the Future
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Farming in the Falklands1982 - 2007

• Specialist wool meat breeds not the most
  profitable enterprise choice
• Farmers seeking improved dual purpose genetics
• DOA facilitates introduction of worlds best dual
  purpose genetics
• Dohne Merino, SAMM, MPM, Cormo, Polwarth, Bonds
• DOA programmes assist farmers explore
  alternatives

Opportunities for the Future
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Farming in the Falklands1982 - 2007

• Farmers seeking to reduce fibre diameter
• Farmers seeking to increase proportion of
  breeding ewes in flocks
• Farmers seeking to produce surplus grass-fed
  lambs for export

Opportunities for the Future
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Farming in the FalklandsBeyond 2007?

• More than 1,000,000 kg of organic wool finer than
  25 micron each year
• Potentially 50,000 grass-fed organic lambs each
  year
• Farms managed holistically to achieve social,
  economic environmental prosperity

Opportunities for the Future
18 April 2007