- New five-year partnership between the Queensland Government, Meat & Livestock Australia and Australian Government backs graziers
- $24.4 million investment in research to improve Queensland pastures and grazing land management
- Projects to deliver world-class improvements to pasture-based livestock industries
A new $24.4 million partnership between Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and MLA is planning to address three significant threats to beef productivity in northern Australia: pasture dieback, land condition decline and pasture rundown.
The Queensland Pasture Resilience Program (QPRP) will incorporate research, development and extension activities across QLD for the next five years and is also supported by the Australian Government through the MLA Donor Company (MDC).
As well as improving land condition through sustainable grazing land management, the program will encourage greater adoption of pasture legumes, which reduces methane emissions intensity. This will support the red meat industry’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 and the Queensland Government’s Low Emissions Agriculture Roadmap 2022-2032.
Pasture legumes improve the productivity of native and sown grasses that are in good condition, boosting profitability. They can also help manage pasture dieback, pasture rundown and declining land condition.
Capitalising on DAF’s world-leading research and extension expertise, the Queensland Pasture Resilience Program will help grazing businesses improve:
- land condition and carrying capacity
- animal growth and reproduction rates
- capacity to manage drought.
- carbon market opportunities and methane reduction.
In particular, the program will focus on:
- best-practice grazing land management
- adoption of tropical/sub-tropical pasture legumes
- development of new pasture legume varieties
- optimum fertilising of sown pastures
- pasture dieback management.
