MLA ‘s Dr Matthew McDonagh

ON-FARM sheep meat research and adoption program proposals are being sought for funding by Meat & Livestock Australia.

Individual research and extension organisations, producer groups, or consortiums of multiple organisations have until February 14 this year to submit preliminary 2016-2017 proposals.

The sheep meat or grass fed beef proposals must be in line with the industry’s research, development and adoption priorities, which are focussed on improving on-farm sustainability and profitability.

The nine RD&A priorities for the sheepmeat and grassfed beef industries for 2016/17 are:

• Integration of cropping and livestock systems
• Adaptation of tropical pasture species and companion legumes in new areas
• Adaptation in a future whole farm systems context
• Managing total grazing pressure in extensive livestock production systems
• Rapid, cost-effective mechanisms to get superior beef genetics into northern commercial beef herds via heifers
• Novel feed strategies for supplementation
• Reducing the economic impact of cattle tick
• Decision support tools to help manage farm business risk
• Attracting new and young entrants to livestock R&D and the industry through career paths and culture change.

MLA general manager for on-farm innovation and adoption, Dr Matthew McDonagh, said the RD&A priorities were set after extensive grassroots consultation with sheep and beef cattle producers across Australia.

“We’ve implemented a new process to ensure that sheep meat and grassfed beef producers can have direct input into RD&A priorities on a regional level.

“Our research priorities have come from input provided by 18 new regionally based producer groups as well as the North Australia Beef Research Council (NABRC), the Southern Australia Meat Research Council (SAMRC), and the West Australian Livestock Research Council (WALRC),” he said.

“The regional consultation framework for directing RD&A investment enables producers to have direct input into setting priorities, and we’re encouraging collaboration between producers and researchers on projects right from the start.

“We’re putting levy payers at the centre of everything we do, and will continually seek input on our priorities to ensure MLA is delivering long term value back to the farm gate,” Dr McDonagh said.

Application forms for preliminary proposals are available on the MLA website (www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/Funding-opportunities) and should be submitted electronically to [email protected] by Sunday, 14 February, 2016.

MLA will invite full project proposals from proponents of preliminary project proposals that are assessed as having met the selection criteria in stage one.

For more information about funding applications contact Mary Goodacre, Consultation Strategy Manager, 02 9463 9225 or [email protected].

Details about the new regional consultation framework, and how sheepmeat and beef producers can get involved, is available at www.mla.com.au/About-MLA/RD-Consultation.

Source: MLA