Having helped set up Animal Ethics, the company that developed the pain-relief product Trisolfen, he says he is proud to have been involved in making available an innovation that not only reduces pain after mulesing but could have a role in farm procedures worldwide.

But ongoing research and development costs are enormous and any monies made are being swallowed by further research into this brand-new market segment of farm animal pain.

“Every dollar this company makes over the foreseeable future is being ploughed back into research – this is a high-risk strategy that may not return for five years.”

Mr Olsson (pictured) has been criticised for his recent calls for woolgrowers to continue mules-ing beyond 2010, in stark contrast to the AWI board line.

He has also been accused of pushing a pain-relief product in which his family has a strong financial interest.

But Mr Olsson says he has been quite open about his family’s interest in Trisolfen.

The product was developed by researcher and director of Animal Ethics Dr Meredith Sheil.

Dr Sheil, fellow director Allan Giffard and Mr Olsson’s wife Michelle have all invested heavily in its development and have borrowed against their own assets to set the company up.

Bayer Animal Health bought the distribution rights to Trisolfen in 2006 and estimates the product will be used on 35 per cent of lambs mulesed this year.

Mr Olsson said income from the sale of the licence and other sources such as grants was now being invested in new product development for dehorning, castration and tail-docking of all ruminants, as well as products for use in companion animals and treatment of wounds in horses.

He said Animal Ethics was also exploring applications of multifunction anesthetic wound care for use in humans in open-wound emergency situations such as car or industrial accidents, earthquakes and war zones.

Mr Olsson said on election to the board of AWI last year he had resigned as a director of Animal Ethics.

“My wife elected to keep her shares and financial commitment to the company to support its ongoing work,” he said.

“I fully disclosed my family’s interests in Animal Ethics Pty Ltd to the AWI board, in writing and verbally, and have offered to absent myself on any occasions where appropriate regarding any possible conflict of interest and will continue to do so, as all company directors should do.”

While groups such as the Australian Association of Stud Merino breeders have congratulated Mr Olsson for being part of such a development, others such as WoolProducers Australia are concerned Mr Olsson has not fully declared his financial interest to the growers who voted for him in the AWI board election last year.

Mr Olsson said he believed there was great hope for the wool industry as long as politics could be put aside and the market would decide how the mulesing debate evolved.

While he backed AWI for doing all it could to find mulesing alternatives and meet the needs of retailers, he added the 2010 date had become irrelevant as retailers could now source unmulesed wool if they wanted it and could also source wool from producers who practised humane animal surgery.

“Surgical mulesing is still

critical to the well-being of our sheep and must never be abandoned until effective, economical and humane alternatives are widely available,” Mr Olsson said.

“The only real solution is to breed sheep that are more resistant to flystrike, while not sacrificing sheep wool quantity or quality.

“It is time to try to put this issue to bed once and for all and actively make retailers aware that there are various humane options available to source one of the most environmentally and animal-friendly, natural and sustainable fibres in the world, and let them choose as they will.”