Sheep come a cropper in Wimmera

As cropping increases, what exactly does the future hold for sheep in western Victoria, asks SIMONE DALTON

With another disappointing cropping season, sheep numbers at a historical low and - for a change - a recent run of good lamb prices, you’d think sheep should be coming back into favour in the Wimmera and Mallee in Victoria.

But drive along local roads, where fences are gone and crops spread out as far as the eye can see, and you’ve got to wonder just what future the humble sheep has.

Many older farmers say the "young ones" just don’t want the hassle and commitment of sheep, and even when the Wimmera Mallee pipeline brings back a secure water supply there are questions about just how many sheep will return to western Victorian paddocks.