Welsh sheep farmers taking part in a genetics programme are seeing average annual margin gains of more than £50,000, as new data highlights the growing economic and environmental value of genetic improvement across the sector.
A 2025 review of the Welsh Sheep Genetics Programme shows it is delivering strong financial returns, with 87 flocks and more than 14,500 ewes now involved across Wales.
Participating farmers are seeing average gains of £0.91 per ewe each year, equating to around £3.50 per ewe annually and a margin uplift of about £50,750 per flock.
Flocks involved have also recorded productivity gains, including an average increase of 1kg in lamb weight and a 3% improvement in lamb survival rates, delivering further financial benefits for farm businesses.
Welsh sheep farmer Will Sawday, from Hay-on-Wye, said long-term performance recording had been central to improving flock genetics. “We have been performance recording for 30 years and it has become an integral tool for our genetic improvement,” he said. “For maternal traits, we have found that using solely your eyes as a measure is not good enough.”
He said the programme had expanded what his business was able to measure and improve. “I am so pleased and grateful to be a part of this programme.
"It has brought so much value to our business in allowing us to record for many more traits and collect much more data that I otherwise wouldn’t have done,” he said. “I can already see the genetic improvements.”
Sawday added that the programme was helping future-proof businesses by broadening the scope of data collection. “The WSGP has allowed us to take our performance recording to another level,” he said.
“We are not only collecting more of the same data, improving genetic progress in our current traits; but we are also collecting data on new traits such as methane emissions that will improve future business resilience for our customers.”
The review also highlights Wales’ growing role as a global leader in sheep genetics. In June 2023, the programme introduced Genomic Estimated Breeding Values (GEBVs) into sheep flocks, marking the first time genomics has been applied in this way worldwide.
Data generated through WSGP now accounts for around 70% of the UK’s national sheep genotype database, with more than 77,000 genotypes recorded to date.
Alongside productivity gains, the programme is developing genetic tools to address major industry challenges. These include breeding animals less susceptible to gastrointestinal parasites through the Parasite Plus Estimated Breeding Value, and exploring the potential to select sheep with lower methane emissions.
Mentera said while early results are encouraging, genetic improvement remains a long-term strategy, with newer flocks now reaching the stage where the first recorded lambs are entering breeding cycles and delivering visible benefits.
Eirwen Williams, director of service delivery for rural programmes at Mentera, said: “Genetic improvement is a proven, effective means of improving the sustainability of our hill and maternal flocks.”
She said Welsh government support through Farming Connect had enabled farmers to make rapid progress. “The financial support through Farming Connect has meant our team has been able to help Welsh farmers make progressive leaps forward in the field of sheep genetics,” she said.
Williams added that collaboration across the industry had been key to progress. “The progress made in farmer engagement, data collection and the introduction of cutting-edge genomic tools is a testament to the effectiveness of the WSGP,” she said.
