Chief Executive’s Foreword quality from diverse production systems is unmatched, improving both production consistency and delivering increased values.
ith the future looking possibly less certain than at any time in the 45 years since Texels first arrived in this country. One thing which is certain is that sheep farmers will once again adapt and evolve to suit the market and the economic climate they find themselves in.
W
We can take heart that the Breed is ever more popular, with pedigree and performance driving genetic improvement to the benefit of commercial producers. With a 10% rise in membership over the previous eight years and female registrations rising 11%, to just over 21,000 since 2013, both important key performance indicators, providing us with the assurance that pedigree Texel is valued in the industry. In any industry there is innovation and also developments that irrevocably alter the entire landscape of that industry. The introduction and evolution of the Texel breed is one such development and it has been proven to have transformed standards across the entire sheep meat supply chain, forever. Texel genes are now integrated across many breed lines in the UK. Texel has become more than a game changer, the breed’s capabilities to increase yield and
We have asked ourselves “how do we build a diverse and creative team that can reach better decisions?” We are investing in skilled and knowledgeable staff and whilst we know disruption is inevitable. The challenge is to ensure the organisation can embrace the looming change and continue to offer the highest standard of service that the membership has come to expect over the last 4 plus decades. By investing in the latest technologies and developing phenotype collection methods of hard to measure traits, is enabling the Society to drive the UK sheep industry from the front. Over the coming years Texel breeders will have the ability to use modern and more reliable breeding values for disease resilience, carcass quality and meat eating quality. I have no doubt that you will continue to witness the Texel Society leading innovation, collaborating with like minded organisations and future proofing its services. All of which help to provide valued services and support our members, as they make difficult breeding decisions, to match performance with type and meet commercial needs.
Tel: 02476 696629 office@texel.co.uk
The Society Board recognises the need to manage change and develop systems and services. No business has the luxury to play out change over time, particularly in the midst of disruption. Institutional inertia is often underestimated and more evident in large organisations. An extract of the Society’s Breed Development Plan, published in the November Bulletin, sets out clear goals to support genetic improvement.
John Yates
Society Chief Executive
11