Track 2-8-1: Impact of Market Demands on Grassland Management and Livestock Husbandry
Description
Beef cattle grazing (~14 million head) native pastures is the dominant economic use of northern grazing lands (2.3 million km2). Few enterprises make positive economic returns in most years or achieve the necessary productivity gains (~2% per annum) to offset an ongoing cost-price squeeze (McCosker et al., 2010). A significant contributor to poor performance is low reproductive performance, management of first calving heifers, calf growth and weaning rates and liveweight gain - linked to nutrition and the low quality of pastures. Pasture development technologies (Gramshaw and Walker, 1988) are available but uptake has been poor. Three pasture development options offering technical promise include (a) mosaic irrigation - small-scale schemes utilising favourable soils and access to water, (b) broad-scale over-sowing of native pastures with improved grasses and legumes, (c) high intensity-short duration (cell) grazing and (c) increasing stock access to underutilised pasture resources by expanding water and fencing infrastructure. How these options might alter the economic performance of enterprises has received limited attention.
A formal review employed simulation models and regional case studies to explore the scope for mosaic irrigation to change the production and marketing orientation of northern beef enterprises and deliver economic benefits (MacLeod et al., 2013). Consideration was also given to alternative development options viz. broad-scale pasture sowing, high intensity-short duration (cell) grazing, and additional water and fencing infrastructure. The economic results of these options for three of the regional case studies are summarised in this paper.
Included in
Economic Review of Pasture Development Options for North Australian Beef Enterprises
Beef cattle grazing (~14 million head) native pastures is the dominant economic use of northern grazing lands (2.3 million km2). Few enterprises make positive economic returns in most years or achieve the necessary productivity gains (~2% per annum) to offset an ongoing cost-price squeeze (McCosker et al., 2010). A significant contributor to poor performance is low reproductive performance, management of first calving heifers, calf growth and weaning rates and liveweight gain - linked to nutrition and the low quality of pastures. Pasture development technologies (Gramshaw and Walker, 1988) are available but uptake has been poor. Three pasture development options offering technical promise include (a) mosaic irrigation - small-scale schemes utilising favourable soils and access to water, (b) broad-scale over-sowing of native pastures with improved grasses and legumes, (c) high intensity-short duration (cell) grazing and (c) increasing stock access to underutilised pasture resources by expanding water and fencing infrastructure. How these options might alter the economic performance of enterprises has received limited attention.
A formal review employed simulation models and regional case studies to explore the scope for mosaic irrigation to change the production and marketing orientation of northern beef enterprises and deliver economic benefits (MacLeod et al., 2013). Consideration was also given to alternative development options viz. broad-scale pasture sowing, high intensity-short duration (cell) grazing, and additional water and fencing infrastructure. The economic results of these options for three of the regional case studies are summarised in this paper.
