MLA’s PDS workshops have focused on key sheep management topics like Lifetime Ewe Management, increasing lamb survival and constructing control programs using the FeralScan app. Image – Lucy-Anne Cobby.
MEAT & Livestock Australia adoption programs delivered $74.3 million in annual net benefits to more than 10,000 sheep, beef and goat producers in 2023-24, the research, development and marketing body has estimated.
The benefits of MLA’s ongoing investments in adoption are outlined in the latest Producer Adoption Outcomes Report.
During 2023-24, landholders participating in adoption initiatives were responsible for more than 219.4M hectares of Australian agricultural land, and managed more than 14.6 million cattle, 9.1 million sheep and 647,950 goats.
MLA’s flagship programs for producers include Profitable Grazing Systems (PGS), Producer demonstration sites (PDS), EDGE Network and BredWell Fedwell (BWFW). These programs provide information on key management practices through supported learning packages, peer-to-peer learning and hands-on workshops.
Since 2015, there have been over $1.1 billion worth of total net benefits delivered to Australian red meat and livestock producers who adopted a new practice as a result of participating in a MLA Adoption program.
Profitable Grazing Systems (PGS)
In 2023-2024, 441 producers were involved in MLA’s PGS program. On average producers involved in PGS experienced a $5.53–7.52/ha average annual net benefit for participating southern producers and $6–26/km2 average annual net benefit for participating northern producers, MLA said.
A new PGS package was also made available in 2023-24 called LevelUp; designed to coach producers to take the family farm and turn it into the family business, covering topics of strategy, governance, investment and succession planning.
Producer Demonstration Sites (PDS)
In 2023-24, 83 active PDS projects were funded. On average, and depending on the area of practice change, producers could expect an additional net benefit of $2.29-$5.89/ha annually as a result of their participation in the program, MLA said. The sites aim to increase the rate of adoption of key management practices and technologies that improve business profitability, productivity and sustainability. MLA supported funding for six levy projects and three co-contributor projects. Three additional Integrated R&D PDS projects were contracted during 2023–24 associated with research projects.
In 2023-24, 545 producers participated in 48 EDGE workshops that delivered an estimated $43.3M* of total net benefits identified for 2023. It is estimated that participating producers received an annual average benefit of up to $6.21/ha for southern producers and up to $100/km2 for northern producers, MLA said. EDGE Network gives producers the opportunity to develop skills to improve their livestock enterprises through one to three-day workshops. There are eight courses currently available with two new courses launched during 2023–24: Carbon EDGE and the Southern Rangelands Grazing Fundamentals EDGE.
In 2023, MLA revamped the BredWell FedWell (BWFW) workshop to reflect evolving best practice genetics and nutrition management.
MLA said 94 percent of 347 producers engaged in 19 BWFW workshops, who manage almost 1 million hectares of agricultural land, indicated they would plan to make changes after attending.
BredWell FedWell is a one-day practical workshop on how productivity and profitability can be improved through good breeding and feeding over the livestock production cycle, with a specific focus on profit drivers.
MLA program manager for adoption Sally Leigo said the MLA adoption program provides a suite of service offerings including training products, group learning, one-on-one coaching, resources and tools.
“MLA’s adoption programs are focused on assisting producers to increase their production, profitability and sustainability,” she said.
“These programs are designed to allow producers, supported by a local service providers to explore how to improve their business skills as well as pasture and livestock management through the latest research outcomes, technology, or best management practices.
“The Producer Adoption Outcomes Report outlines the results achieved from producers engaging in these services during 2023–24 and the benefits they received through such involvement.”
For more information on the MLA Producer Adoption Outcomes Report 2023-2024 visit: MLA Producer Adoption Outcomes Report 2023-2024
For more information on MLA’s Producer adoption R&D please visit: Producer adoption
Source – MLA.
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