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Lucchesi labour of love wins WAMMCO award

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Bob GarnantCountryman
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WAMMCO chairman Craig Heggaton, stock hands George Rowe and Paul Bailey, WAMMCO Producer of the Year Michael Lucchesi, of Kulin, who shared the Judy Cameron Memorial trophy with Westcoast Livestock Hyden agent Lincon Gangell, Zoetis senior sales representative Ben Fletcher and WAMMCO supply and development manager Rob Davidson.
Camera IconWAMMCO chairman Craig Heggaton, stock hands George Rowe and Paul Bailey, WAMMCO Producer of the Year Michael Lucchesi, of Kulin, who shared the Judy Cameron Memorial trophy with Westcoast Livestock Hyden agent Lincon Gangell, Zoetis senior sales representative Ben Fletcher and WAMMCO supply and development manager Rob Davidson. Credit: Countryman

Kulin lamb producer Michael Lucchesi was thrilled to be named WA Meat Marketing Co-operative’s producer of the year, and very proud to be awarded the prestigious Judy Cameron Memorial trophy at an awards function in Katanning on October 27.

After four years in the competition, it was the first overall win for Mr Lucchesi and his wife Alison, who had the highest points in the competition with their lambs averaging 22.88kg on the hooks.

The couple — along with their children Pippa, 5, and Ben, 7, — run a 7000ha mixed farm and lease an additional 3800ha of property.

“We enjoy running sheep and it is good to have the recognition for our effort,” Mr Lucchesi said.

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“We’re proud to be part of this industry.”

The Lucchesi family run between 2500 and 3000 big-framed Merino ewes which were all acquired from outside the farm.

The sheep are crossed with Poll Dorset and White Suffolk rams from Nick and Gina Cheetham’s Cheetara stud in Narembeen.

The Lucchesi family supplied 6187 lambs to WAMMCO’s Katanning processing plant in 2020-21.

Their score of 92.8 points in the crossbred large supplier category was just 1.96 above supplier KD & VG Hoey, of Esperance, who came second.

Mr Lucchesi said he drafted 40kg liveweight lambs into the farm’s feedlot to gain a desirable market weight of 48kg, or about 22kg dressed weight, using a home mix of mostly farm-grown lupins and barley.

“We lamb in March and April and market lambs in August,” he said.

The family had two second place awards in 2018-19 and 2019-20 after coming eighth in 2016-17.

WAMMCO supply and development manager Rob Davidson, who co-ordinates the producer of the year competition, said Mr Lucchesi’s attention to detail — particularly to the health status of his livestock — had been an essential component to his success.

“Michael also maintains consistent deliveries of a quality lamb product throughout the year,” Mr Davidson said.

“He has worked out over time a formula that works for his enterprise, from sourcing quality genetics to establishing a strict criteria in regard to lamb liveweight on entry into a feedlot and the most beneficial time on feed.”

Mr Davidson said Mr Lucchesi’s willingness to work with Westcoast Livestock agents Lincon Gangell, Barry Gangell and Jane Bushby, who help weigh all animals in preparing a consignment, showed his commitment in doing the job right.

He said the competition point scoring based on a total 100 points was 80 per cent on carcase specifications with the target of between 18.1kg and 28kg dressed weight, with a fat score between 2 and 3 and a defect-free carcase.

“The other 20 per cent of the point scores are accumulated on delivery volumes and times of the year,” Mr Davidson said.

“The competition is run by automatic entry for suppliers with a minimum annual turn-off of 250 crossbred or Merino lambs and the 2020-21 season had 701,493 lambs scored in one of the five different categories.”

Zoetis senior sales representative and sponsor Ben Fletcher with WAMMCO crossbred medium supplier first place winner Peter Hudson, of Dowerin, with his twin sons Seth, 3, and Bevan, 3, and father Darrel, WAMMCO supply and development manager Rob Davidson.
Camera IconZoetis senior sales representative and sponsor Ben Fletcher with WAMMCO crossbred medium supplier first place winner Peter Hudson, of Dowerin, with his twin sons Seth, 3, and Bevan, 3, and father Darrel, WAMMCO supply and development manager Rob Davidson. Credit: Countryman
WAMMCO chairman Craig Heggaton with WAMMCO crossbred large supplier second place award winners Viv and Ken Hoey, of Esperance.
Camera IconWAMMCO chairman Craig Heggaton with WAMMCO crossbred large supplier second place award winners Viv and Ken Hoey, of Esperance. Credit: Countryman
WAMMCO director Tom Lynch with WAMMCO Merino large supplier category second place winners Gordon, Philip and Rachael McLean, of Lake Biddy.
Camera IconWAMMCO director Tom Lynch with WAMMCO Merino large supplier category second place winners Gordon, Philip and Rachael McLean, of Lake Biddy. Credit: Countryman
WAMMCO marketing manager Damien Giumelli with WAMMCO crossbed medium supplier third place winner Tom Lynch, of Hyden, and Westcoast Livestock Hyden agent Lincon Gangell.
Camera IconWAMMCO marketing manager Damien Giumelli with WAMMCO crossbed medium supplier third place winner Tom Lynch, of Hyden, and Westcoast Livestock Hyden agent Lincon Gangell. Credit: Bob Garnant/Countryman, Bob Garnant
WAMMCO marketing manager Damien Giumelli with WAMMCO crossbred small supplier third place winner Jay Robertson, of Kulin, with Elders Lake Grace agent Graeme Taylor.
Camera IconWAMMCO marketing manager Damien Giumelli with WAMMCO crossbred small supplier third place winner Jay Robertson, of Kulin, with Elders Lake Grace agent Graeme Taylor. Credit: Countryman
Zoetis senior sales representative Ben Fletcher, WAMMCO Merino large supplier first place category winners Lachlan and Hannah Patterson, of Woodlands, and their daughter Violet, 9 months, Murdoch University professor Graham Gardner, and WAMMCO director Brad Ispen.
Camera IconZoetis senior sales representative Ben Fletcher, WAMMCO Merino large supplier first place category winners Lachlan and Hannah Patterson, of Woodlands, and their daughter Violet, 9 months, Murdoch University professor Graham Gardner, and WAMMCO director Brad Ispen. Credit: Bob Garnant/Countryman, Bob Garnant
Awarded third place in the WAMMCO crossbred large suppler category, was Evergreen Grazing Company directors Craig and Liz Heggaton, Evergreen livestock manager Sophie Beasley, stock hand Isabella Clarke and WAMMCO director Mark Lucas.
Camera IconAwarded third place in the WAMMCO crossbred large suppler category, was Evergreen Grazing Company directors Craig and Liz Heggaton, Evergreen livestock manager Sophie Beasley, stock hand Isabella Clarke and WAMMCO director Mark Lucas. Credit: Countryman
WAMMCO chairman Craig Heggaton, WAMMCO director Bill O'Keefe and third place winner of the WAMMCO Merino small supplier category Al Whyte, of Kondinin.
Camera IconWAMMCO chairman Craig Heggaton, WAMMCO director Bill O'Keefe and third place winner of the WAMMCO Merino small supplier category Al Whyte, of Kondinin. Credit: Countryman

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