Merino Lifetime Productivity

AWI and Australian Merino Sire Evaluation Association (AMSEA) have teamed up with five sire evaluation sites to deliver the AWI Merino Lifetime Productivity (MLP) Project between 2015-25.
AWI and Australian Merino Sire Evaluation Association (AMSEA) have teamed up with five sire evaluation sites, site hosts and nominating stud breeders, to deliver the AWI Merino Lifetime Productivity Project (MLP). The project will receive $8 million dollars in funding from AWI over ten years from 2015, along with $5 million in support from project partners.
The 10-year project is designed to capture lifetime data across diverse environments and Merino types to help better understand and deliver Merino ewe lifetime performance outcomes for the Australian Merino industry.

Download the Project Brochure
Read more about the Merino Lifetime Productivity Project in the MLP brochure (PDF 696 KB)

MLP Sites, Sires and More Information
Visit the Merino Lifetime Productivity Project page on the Merino Superior Sires website to find out more about the project’s aims, evaluation sites, the sires and ewes involved and to access project reports.

Download MLP Reports
MLP Reports including raw data, adjusted sire means, breeding values and indexes are produced annually for each site. They can be downloaded from the Merino Superior Sires website.
The project is an opportunity to answer many of the industry’s questions in relation to selection and ewe lifetime performance, such as:
- Is it possible to select for lifetime productivity at a young age using raw data, breeding values, genomically enhanced breeding values, visual classing or a combination of industry approaches?
- What is the impact of selecting for wool, growth, reproduction, welfare and carcase traits on the productivity of Merino ewes over their lifetime?
- Why do some animals perform year in and year out, while others fade over time?
- Are there new ways to better predict superior lifetime performance?
Read about the Merino Lifetime Productivity Project in AWI’s Industry Communications
MLP Newsletter:
- MLP Newsletter No 18 - September 2024
- MLP Newsletter No 17 - April 2024
- MLP Newsletter No 16 - October 2023
- MLP Newsletter No 15 - May 2023
- MLP Newsletter No 14 - December 2022
- MLP Newsletter No 13 - August 2022
- MLP Newsletter No 12 - February 2022
- MLP Newsletter No 11 - September 2021
- MLP Newsletter No 10 - July 2021
- MLP Newsletter No 9 - May 2021
- MLP Newsletter No 8 - December 2020
- MLP Newsletter No 7 - October2020
- MLP Newsletter No 6 - June/July 2020
- MLP Newsletter No 5 - March 2020
- MLP Newsletter No. 4 - December 2019
- MLP Newsletter No. 3 - June 2019
- MLP Newsletter No. 2 - March 2019
- MLP Newsletter No. 1 - December 2018
MLP Project Updates:
- MLP Project Proving its Value - December 2023
- AWI and AGBU Partnering for Genomic and the MLP Analysis - March 2022
- Profiling the Pingelly MLP Site - December 2021
- MLP Data-to-date - September 2021
- Adding on to the MLP - June 2021
- Meet the MLP Team & September 2020
- MLP Project Update – June 2020
- MLP Project Update - June 2019
- MLP Project Update - March 2019
- MLP Project Update - September 2018
- MLP Project Update - June 2018
- MLP Project Update - March 2018
- MLP Project Update - December 2017
- MLP Project Update - June 2017
- MLP Project Update - December 2016
- MLP Project Update - June 2016
Merino Superior Sires:
- Merino Superior Sires no30 now available - December 2024
- Merino Superior Sires no29 now available - December 2023
- Merino Superior Sires no26 now available - December 2020
MLP Beyond the Bale Articles:
- Unlocking genetic potential: the importance of quality raw data in breeding - June 2025
- MLP insights: improving reproduction rates - December 2024
- How well does early performance predict lifetime performance of MLP sires? - June 2024
- Wrinkle expression in the MLP project - March 2024
- MLP Project proving its value - December 2023
- Leveraging research from the MLP project - September 2023
- AWI and AGBU partnering for genomics and the MLP analysis - March 2022
- Profiling the Pingelly MLP Site - Beyond the Bale December 2021 p48-49
- MLP Data-to-date - Beyond the Bale September 2021 p36-37
- Adding on to the MLP - Beyond the Bale June 2021 p44-45
- Ram mating success insights - Beyond the Bale March 2021 p40-41
LISTEN ABOUT THE MERINO LIFETIME PRODUCTIVITY PROJECT ON AWI'S PODCAST 'THE YARN'

Gaining genetic ground with an MLP milestone - episode 129
The Merino Lifetime Productivity (MLP) Project has reached its halfway mark, so what does this mean for the commercial and stud breeders of Australia's wool industry?
Merino Lifetime Productivity Project Update episode 86
Four years into the ten-year long MLP Project, the industry experts from the MLP Industry Steering Committee share the successes of the project so far and the outcomes the industry hopes to see in the future.

Related Articles
- A day of firsts and lasts - the MLP Project New England Field Day article
- Can we find a better way to compare sheep performance
- MerinoLink - Linking the Merino Industry
- Genetic aspects of lifetime productivity in Merinos - A Review by R.R. Woolaston
- Low wrinkle - high fleece weight - June 2019
- Sire evaluation made easy via new website - December 2018
- R&D into profit per hectare of different merino types - December 2018
- Improving merino resilience - December 2018
- Merino sire evaluation explained - December 2018
- Scanning for age of foetus - June 2018
- Independent classing and measurement combine to deliver merino sire evaluation - September 2016

Associated MLP “Add On” Projects
Read more on the list of MLP Add-On Projects (Add-on projects use the core MLP sheep for additional R&D but are separate to the core purpose of the MLP)
Merino Lifetime Productivity ANALYSIS AND REPORTING PLAN VERSION 2
Read the MLP Analysis and Reporting Plan. Feedback welcome to Geoff.Lindon@wool.com