NORTHERN Information for Rural Business in North Queensland ISSUE 46 AUTUMN 2018
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NORTHERN Information for rural business in North Queensland ISSUE 46 AUTUMN 2018 futurebeef.com.au NORTHERN Information for rural business in North Queensland Beef Australia 2018 count down is on Grazing BMP at Beef Australia 2018 and beyond Making grazing decisions count IN THIS ISSUE Editorial Beef businesses are adapting and changing Northern Grazing Demonstration update Adaptive management in action at the Wambiana Grazing Trial Options to increase productivity Improving your beef enterprise Making grazing decisions count Could an exotic disease outbreak happen in northern Australia? Desmanthus persisting despite dry times Beef Australia 2018 count down is on Grazing BMP at Beef Australia 2018 and beyond Calf Alive symposium a resounding success NORTHERN Information for rural business in North Queensland As we move into the year we look ahead to This edition has a great selection of articles Welcome to an exciting and jam-packed events calendar, to keep you informed about a variety of topics headlined by the one and only Beef Australia including woodland thickening, calf mortality, 2018 from 6 to 12 May. To stay up-to-date sown pastures and the simple steps to Northern muster 46 with events happening near you, check out complete a forage budget. the FutureBeef events calendar at We hope you enjoy issue 46 of the Northern futurebeef.com.au/events. muster. Please contact the editorial team Welcome to the autumn edition of the stock numbers to that feed supply to avoid We have welcomed back extension officers with any inquiries or feedback. To register Northern muster! any long-term damage of pastures. Emma Black and Rebecca Gunther from to receive the online version of the Northern maternity leave and farewelled Megan Willis, Yet another late start to the wet season has Despite good rain falling in some areas, muster, subscribe on the FutureBeef website been experienced in many regions across off on maternity leave for another twelve (futurebeef.com.au/resources/newsletters) or there are still many producers experiencing Queensland. The recent low-pressure system months with her second child. We said goodbye email [email protected]. the extended dry conditions. Support is still resulted in some relief for those fortunate to Lauren O’Connor from our Mackay office For the latest research-based information, enough to receive decent falls across the north available under the Queensland Government and Alice Bambling has relocated from tips, tools, events and recorded webinars, visit and north west. As we move through autumn, Drought Relief Assistance Scheme (DRAS). Charters Towers to the Emerald office. futurebeef.com.au. the potential to grow a decent body of feed is For more information and to discuss your For a full list of contact details for all available rapidly declining. We encourage you to consider individual drought position, contact your local extension officers in your area visit Alice Bambling, Megan Willis, Mellissa Holzwart how much feed is available and carefully match drought coordinator. futurebeef.com.au/contact-us. and Rebecca Gunther Beef businesses are adapting Land management having this data become apparent. But while Some producers have made significant changes many producers lack the confidence to and changing in relation to stocking-rate management and analyse financial data, they realise how the implementation of a routine wet-season important it is to improve record keeping and spelling system. Sending cattle on agistment business management. Producers running extensive beef businesses to change, and generally looking for ways to to address overstocking issues on the home face a complex mix of seasonal, grazing improve their businesses. Debt pressures, succession strategies, properties is one example. inheritance and the need for productivity management, productivity, family and financial Other preliminary findings include: challenges. They maintain a positive outlook for While many producers are looking to make improvements have driven significant changes their businesses despite poor business returns, Business position changes in grazing management they are in the asset base of some businesses. Owning low equity and seasonal pressures dominating Even with buoyant cattle prices, there has been surprised at how long it takes to see an and operating additional properties in another decision-making. no significant debt reduction across the board. improvement in land condition. Unless there is district presents challenges in terms of travel Most producers are playing catch up with any a run of good seasons as they pursue lighter and risks associated with taking on a new The $avannaPlan-Beef$ense program, surplus being absorbed into updating plant and stocking rates and wet-season spelling, change production system. supported by the Northern Gulf Resource equipment, improving pasture and the home, in condition and productivity is often too slow Management Group and the Department of In summary, the $avannaPlan-Beef$ense and repairing infrastructure (fencing and motivation wanes. Generally, overgrazing Agriculture and Fisheries, continues to provide team continues to deliver whole-of-business and waters). is more pronounced where there is significant Gulf family beef businesses the opportunity services to established beef producers as debt and financial pressure. to closely examine their stocking rates, herd Networking well as running NextGen industry mentoring productivity, operational costs and profitability. Regardless of stage-of-life, there are real There is good awareness, and some control programs. Two Beef$ense NextGen participants benefits in looking outside of the business programs in place, in relation to the obvious will feature their respective approaches to beef The confidential ‘business health checks’ for information and peer networks. Those land-condition issues such as weeds and business management at the Beef Australia involve collecting and analysing up to nine producers who network widely are often erosion. However, there is less concern 2018 ‘Grazing business resilience’ seminar in years (2009–17) of business position (equity), reinvigorated and motivated to make changes about the subtler impacts of set stocking and Rockhampton in May. profit, and financial and herd performance within the business. sustained heavy grazing on pasture composition Joe Rolfe indicators. The program is now evaluating how and productivity. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries producers have benefited from the program Production Mareeba over the last five years, including identifying Generally, there is good awareness of herd Financial management and record 0427 378 412 changes in herd, grazing, financial and people productivity and management issues. However, keeping making changes is often constrained by lack management. Many producers recognise the importance of Alison Larard of labour, age and stage-of-life of business planning as well as identifying, analysing and $avannaPlan-Beef$ense team To date, preliminary findings show producers owners, confidence in the outcome, and applying strategies. Generally, record-keeping 0458 007 999 are remaining positive, demonstrating a will perceived instability in the market. standards are improving as the benefits of 1 NORTHERN Information for rural business in North Queensland Northern Grazing Demonstration update There is overwhelming evidence that breeding cattle performance is mostly driven by their body condition, which is in turn driven by nutrition; and nutrition in the rangelands is driven by land and pasture condition. The ongoing twenty-year Wambiana Grazing Trial, near Charters Towers, has clearly demonstrated that managing the pasture feed- base is the fundamental principal to get right Above: Duncan and Jillian Matthews working with project for sustainable beef production. The recent Ian MacGibbon of Ametdale foresees the Northern Grazing staff to set up baseline measures on both Christmas Creek Demonstration making a worthwhile contribution to industry. and Blue Range stations. CashCow project also concluded that inadequate nutrition was the principal factor for poor breeder grazing and animal management systems to Left: Brett Blennerhassett at one of the sites on Goshen. performance across northern Australia. improve their businesses. Animal, pasture and land condition outcomes will be demonstrated The new Northern Grazing Demonstration through several field and information days Upper Herbert site project, managed by Department of Agriculture during the three-year project. Brett and Theresa Blennerhassett of Goshen and Fisheries (DAF), will blend the principles Fitzroy site Station, Mt Garnet, are participating in both for good breeding and grazing management, as Upper Burdekin site(s) Ian and Penny MacGibbon have volunteered their the Northern Grazing Demonstration and the recommended from the recent research findings property, Ametdale, as a demonstration site host Northern Beef Genomics project. Goshen is from the Wambiana and CashCow projects, to The Matthews family has volunteered their for the Fitzroy region. a 19 100 hectare property situated near the strive for high productivity while maintaining or properties, Christmas Creek and Blue Range, as Kirrama Range in the Upper Herbert River improving land condition. demonstration site hosts for the Upper Burdekin Ametdale is a breeder block producing growers region. The entire family has been a long-time and fatteners for the MacGibbon family’s brigalow catchment in north Queensland.