Somebody asked about current breeding figures not sure which state. Well, here are some for NSW, courtesy of GWIC, which does a nice job of producing data. These cover the current year but are based on the 9 months to March 2019 and extrapolated (therefore subject to minor correction). I then compare them with the (GRNSW) 2018 year and with a rough average of the long term picture. Litters 2019 2018 Long 452 580 1250 Names 2019 2018 Long 2966 3159 6000 All figures bottomed out in 2016/17 reflecting the aftermath of the 2015 live baiting saga (it keeps popping out, doesnt it?). A pretty grim story still. It demands serious and substantial action to maintain not just race numbers but an improvement in field quality as well. Fears about handling future re-homing demands are all very well but, in the meantime, we are risking the very core of the industry. How can tracks be sustained if dog numbers are continuing to drop? So there are two jobs to do. First, promote breeding like hell, using whatever ammunition you can find. Second, pull out all the stops to grow the re-homing market. The results of those efforts will tell us how best to judge the work of GRNSW and GWIC. Those two authorities are now between a rock and a hard place. If they let breeding dwindle away, races will be reduced, income will fall and there will not be enough cash to perform jobs 1 and 2. All of which makes you wonder where the money will come from to pay for the (welcome) increases in prize money.
|