The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) says potential benefits included being able to more accurately record, monitor and evaluate information throughout the lamb production system and value chain.

DPI lamb specialist Peter Bailey (pictured) said there were benefits of knowing the breeding of the top- or bottom-performing 20 per cent of lambs finished for slaughter.

“Those rams and ewes that are producing the bottom-performing lambs can be culled from the breeding flock,” he said.

“If you single-sire-mate or mob-mate by the same genetic sire base, then you can quickly identify which rams are performing best on your farm to produce the best lambs.”

Identification could enable producers to identify which lambs finished early, grew faster or were more feed-efficient.

“Selection or culling decisions in a self-replacing flock can be more efficient by integrating information on individual ewe hoggets, ewes or rams, including using data on scanning, lamb marking, weaning, survival days to sale and carcase data,” Mr Bailey said.

“This can take performance-recording for commercial producers to a whole new level to achieve improved productivity gains and greater profit.”

Mr Bailey said lamb lean meat yield could vary 10-12pc in individual carcases from the same genetics.

“If this can be identified on an IAI basis, management and genetic changes can be made to maximise the benefits of this difference in yield,” he said.

“IAI is one management tool that producers can use that provides information and feedback to potentially improve genetic gain by up to 1pc (annually and cumulatively).

“This has the potential to be a major contributor to achieving productivity gains.”

Mr Bailey said the new technology was affordable but the full benefits were yet to be realised.

“What we do know is that integration of information from consumer to producer will be a key driver to improving sheep industry productivity and profitability,” he said.

“I am keen to work with producers who are interested in participating in IAI projects to achieve these potential productivity gains.”