The State of Victoria through its Department of Primary Industries

Transcription

1 Final Report Project code: Prepared by: B.PDS.0001 Neil James The State of Victoria through its Department of Primary Industries Date published: November 2011 PUBLISHED BY Meat & Livestock Australia Limited Locked Bag 991 NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2059 Measuring and monitoring a Lucerne-grass mix pasture to increase enterprise productivity, profitability and Meat & Livestock Australia acknowledges the matching funds provided by the Australian Government to support the research and development detailed in this publication. This publication is published by Meat & Livestock Australia Limited ABN (MLA). Care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However MLA cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained in the publication. You should make your own enquiries before making decisions concerning your interests. Reproduction in whole or in part of this publication is prohibited without prior written consent of MLA.

2 Project Number: B.PDS.0001 Research Organisation: The State of Victoria through its Department of Primary Industries DPI Contact: Neil James, Ph: , E: Host Farmers: John and Maureen Fish, Ph: , E: PURPOSE This PDS has investigated implementing more resilient pasture systems that persist through climate variability and respond to rain when it falls outside the traditional growing season. The property owners, John and Maureen Fish, in conjunction with their BetterBeef group were keen to assess a lucerne/grass mix to lengthen the growing season in an area that has traditionally been considered too wet for lucerne. This project monitored animal liveweight performance, pasture composition and reports an economic analysis of cost benefit and return on investment. OBJECTIVES 1. To measure and monitor the following key performance indicators of the summer active lucerne/grass mix (phalaris and cocksfoot) pasture over a 3 year period: kg beef produced per ha establishment and persistence of the sown species Composition mix of the sown species Time period of grazing Residual pasture cover on animal entry and exit. (this was not measured) 2. To complete a financial analysis of the proposed lucerne/grass mix The financial analysis will include cost benefit analysis and return on investment for the pasture system. OVERVIEW The Lucerne/Cocksfoot/Phalaris pasture mix was sown in May An unexpected strike of Wimmera Annual Ryegrass occurred after sowing that significantly impacted the trial. Lucerne was established at a density of between 27 and 44 plants per square metre. The strike of Wimmera Ryegrass meant it had to be sprayed with Fusilade. After spraying, the ryegrass was tested and found to be resistant to herbicide. An early grazing and cut of silage was conducted to stop the seed set of Wimmera ryegrass. The Cocksfoot and Phalaris that had died from the spraying was re-sown in July This set the trial back 12 months and delayed meeting the objectives. Once the Lucerne/Cocksfoot/Phalaris pasture re established, the site was then able to be stocked and measurements taken. There has been a series of field days. These field days have involved participants of the Ballarat BetterBeef group and the Moorabool farmer group attending. Each of these producer days has involved subject experts speaking on Lucerne management and animal health. Participants of the Ballarat BetterBeef group were actively involved in the decision-making on the trial site, including marketing options for the steers and heifers, grazing management, bloat treatment options and continuing management options. Appendix I provides a record of the recommendations from the group. As part of the communication plan - an article on the PDS site appeared in the MLA Prograzier magazine, Spring Edition FINAL FIELD DAY At a final field day on October 20, 2011, the focus was on lucerne grazing management and bent grass control. 2

3 Around 50 participants attended the day where lucerne varieties and grazing management were discussed. The Fish family talked about the benefits of growing lucerne in turning off more kilograms of beef per hectare but also the management difficulties of controlling the onset of bloat and being able to manage the extra feed from the pasture when you don t have enough cattle to control it. An evaluation of this day is attached in Appendix II. SKILLS AUDIT A series of questions, related to the management of Lucerne, were developed as a way of measuring the knowledge of participants before and after the demonstration. This was conducted with the Ballarat BetterBeef group in 2009 and again in The level of accuracy in answering the questions in 2009 was 75% and in 2011 it was 94%. This is an overall improvement in knowledge of 25%. See Appendix III for the results. RELEVANT MORE BEEF FROM PASTURES TOOLS. Over the course of the PDS a number of MLA tools were used by the farmers. These included: Cost of Production Feed Demand Calculator Health Cost Benefit Calculator 3

4 ECONOMICS OF ESTABLISHING LUCERNE Claire Swann, Farm Business Economist, Department of Primary Industries. This section of the report looks at the economic performance of the lucerne pasture established on John and Maureen Fish s farm at Ballan. The performance of a pasture investment requires an assessment of both the production and profit derived from the pasture. Production, as measured by beef production per hectare, indicates the physical performance and profitability, as measured by discounted cash flow budget, explains the return from the pasture investment. Kilograms of beef per hectare Beef production, as measured by kilograms of beef per hectare, was calculated for the time the steers and heifers were grazing the lucerne pasture from 21 September 2010 to 4 March The weights were taken before and after the stock grazed the pasture. The average weight gain and grazing periods by the steers are shown by the green boxes in figure 1. The recorded total kilograms of beef produced taken during for the 56 steers and 68 heifers was 594 kilograms per hectare. The heifers contributed 185 kg/ha and the steers contributed 408 kg/ha to this total. This production of 594 kg/ha compares to an annual average of 373 kg/ha and top 20% of 604 kg/ha for south west beef enterprises in the Livestock Farm Monitor Project (Tocker and Berrisford 2011). Average steer weight (kg beef/hd) Period when steers grazed the lucerne /09/2010 9/10/2010 8/11/2010 8/12/2010 7/01/2011 6/02/2011 8/03/2011 Times of weighing Figure 1. The average weight of steers recorded between 21 September 2011 and 4 March The green blocks represent the time when the steers were grazing the lucerne pasture. The Meat & Livestock Australia cost of production calculator has been used by John and Maureen Fish over the last six years to monitor their farm performance. This information reports the average kilograms of beef produced across the entire farm as calculated by kilograms of beef produced, but not yet sold, plus weight of sales minus weight of purchases (figure 2). The area available for grazing by the beef enterprise is 200 hectares. The most severe drought in resulted in the sale of core breeding stock. Their beef production remained relatively constant in the next three years around 160 kg beef per hectare. The increase in beef production in was a reflection of the improved seasonal conditions, and the ability to grow herd numbers as well as finishing steers on the lucerne pasture. Holding onto the steers for an extra 12 weeks over summer as feed was available on the lucerne pasture meant on average each steer put on an extra 74 kilograms representing an increase of 19% in total production. 4

5 300 Kilograms of beef produced per hectare Years Figure 2. Kilograms of beef produced per hectare over the last six years on John and Maureen Fish s farm. The annual rainfall for the Fish s property, based on the Bureau of Meteorology data for Ballan approximately 17 km away, is shown in figure 3. The drought in recorded 444 mm compared to the long term average of 704 mm. The favourable seasonal conditions in saw an improvement of 43% in annual rainfall from the previous year, demonstrating the higher beef production in this year. There was significant rainfall in the months of November, January and February where rainfall was at least 250% greater than the long term average Total annual rainfall (mm) Years Annual rainfall Long term average rainfall Figure 3. Average annual rainfall (solid bars) and long term average rainfall (dark blue line) for Ballan based on Bureau of Meteorology data. 5

6 Daily weight gain Anecdotal evidence suggests that average weight gain of steers during spring is 1 kg/head/day for the Ballan district. This rate of growth could be assumed to have occurred during the summer as a result of the improved seasonal conditions (figure 3). The weight gain of the steers for the proportion of time they were on the lucerne was on average 1.37 kg/head/day. This growth slowed down over the summer months to an average of 0.87 kg/head/day, representing a 13% reduction in daily weight gain compared to the district average (table 1). While this lower average daily gain over summer is less than the district average, there were considerably more stock run per hectare; the stocking rate on the lucerne was 24 DSE/ha compared to the district average 8.5 DSE/ha (see below for more explanation on stocking rates). However, while the district average has a higher production on a per head basis, the lucerne pasture produced a 150% increase in production on a per hectare basis, which is driven by stocking rate per hectare. Table 1. Daily kilograms of beef produced per head and per hectare for the lucerne pasture and the Ballan district average. Lucerne pasture District average % difference Production per head Daily gain (kg/head/day) % decrease Production per hectare Stocking rate (DSE/ha) Steers per hectare extra kg per ha % increase Stocking rate The stocking rate, as measured by dry sheep equivalents (DSE) per hectare, was calculated by multiplying the DSE rating of the livestock class by the days grazing and the number of livestock. This was then adjusted to account for the 13.2 hectares of lucerne pasture and annualised over the year. The stocking rate was calculated per financial year to match the time period of the costs. In the first year of the lucerne establishment ( ) there was no grazing. Approximately 12 months after sowing the first grazing occurred. The stocking rate in this second year ( ) was 3 DSE/ha. Grazing in the third year ( ) ran a stocking rate of 24 DSE/ha, and the last recorded measure in the third year ( ) was 7 DSE/ha. It is expected that the lucerne pasture will be able to carry 18 DSE/ha by the end of this financial year. A stocking rate of 18 DSE/ha is the suggested maximum carrying capacity based on the average annual rainfall for the district. The exceptionally high stocking rate in is because of the seasonal conditions enabling good pasture growth. The average stocking rate for the district is 8.5 DSE/ha reflecting unimproved pastures on the majority of farms. The Fish s have a majority of renovated perennial pastures and have lifted their stocking rate to 12.5 DSE/ha. 6

7 Table 2. The stocking rates (DSE/ha) of the lucerne pasture, Fish s whole farm average and the Ballan district average. Stocking rate (DSE/ha) Year Year Year Year Lucerne pasture * Base case - whole 12.5 (each year) farm District average 8.5 (each year) * expected stocking rate by June 2012 Pasture Composition Pasture composition has changed over the last 12 months which has reflected the lower stocking rate and the amount of feed grown far exceeding the animal requirements. See Table 3 below. This has been one of the learnings for the Fish s and as the feed has become overgrown the perennial grasses have become more dominant. Options of cutting for silage or hay are being investigated. Table 3: Pasture composition Sept 2010 Sept 2011 Lucerne 50% 34% Perennial 20% 51% Pasture Annual Grass 17% 1% Chickweed 4% Broad leaf weeds 2% 13% Bare Ground 7% 1% PROFITABILITY Cost benefit analysis The profitability of the lucerne pasture is calculated using a discounted cash flow analysis over a 10 year life of the lucerne pasture. Two economic indicators are discussed to measure the expected earnings at the end of the pasture and return on the capital invested (Table 4). Four separate scenarios were developed including the current farming operation, the district average and the lucerne pasture under two management options. The assumptions for the different scenarios are detailed below. Scenario 1. Fish s current farming operation (Note: these assumptions are based on their cost of production for their whole farm). The Fish s run a self replacing beef cattle herd with a whole farm stocking rate of 12.5 DSE/ha. Their average gross margin up until is $22.12/DSE adjusted for inflation. Annual pasture maintenance costs of $24/ha includes annual applications of fertiliser, chemicals and lime. Scenario 2. District average The average stocking rate of Ballan district is 8.5 DSE/ha. The gross margin is assumed to be the same as the Fish s current farming operation of $22.12/DSE. This scenario is to compare the potential of farms with little pasture improvement. Scenario 3. Fish s Lucerne system The stocking rate for lucerne in the first four years is detailed in Table 2. From year 4 ( ) onwards 18 DSE/ha is expected. The stocking rate is expected to decrease in year 8 as the pasture starts to deteriorate. 7

8 Gross margin was assumed to be the same at $22.12/DSE in year 1 and 2. It then increased by 55% in year 3 ( ) as a result of the higher sales value of the steers. This higher gross margin of $34.28/DSE is expected for the rest of the analysis period. Infrastructure costs including troughs and fencing were $695/ha and pasture establishment costs including seed, fertiliser and chemicals were $558/ha. During the second year ( ) there was an outbreak of resistant annual ryegrass which limited grazing and incurred chemical control costs of $27/ha. In the third year additional pasture costs were for the control of red legged earth mite. Additional fertiliser costs in the fourth year were $158/ha. Ongoing annual pasture costs from onwards are assumed to be 50% greater than of the current farming operation (at $36/ha) as stocking rate is expected to increase by 50%. Additional 2 hours of labour is required for the 28 weeks of rotational grazing on the lucerne pasture costed at $20 per hour. Lead supplementary feed valued at $136/ha was offered to cattle in year three to minimise the risk of bloat. Scenario 4. Lucerne system under best practice This scenario assumes the same benefits as scenario 3 however it assumes the current farm is set up to rotationally graze and does not require infrastructure costs. The only annual pasture costs are $16/ha for the control of red legged earth mite in year three, fertiliser valued at $158/ha in year four and the ongoing pasture from year five ( ) onwards of $36/ha. The other additional costs have been excluded such as the infestation of ryegrass which was peculiar to the Fish s farm, the supplementary feed as the system will have been set up to minimise the risk of bloat, labour as the whole farm would be managed through rotational grazing. Table 4. The economic performance of the lucerne pasture under two different management options compared to the Fish s current farming operation and the district average scenarios. Scenario Expected value in year 10 Return on investment Fish s current farming operation $1,950/ha na District average $1,266/ha na Lucerne system - Fish $598/ha 14% Lucerne system best case $1,719/ha 51% The economic performance and the cumulative cash flow of the different scenarios are shown in Table 4 and figure 4 respectively. At the end of the ten year period the current farming system is the most profitable assuming there was no introduction of lucerne and no change to the average stocking rate or costs. The next most profitable option is the lucerne under best case conditions. The return on investment was 51% indicating that for every dollar spent you would receive $1.51. This highlights that lucerne can earn good profits on farming systems that have existing infrastructure and management skills to rotationally graze. The district average is the next most profitable option earning $1,266/ha at the end of the ten year period. The least profitable option is the lucerne pasture earning $598/ha at the end of the period or 14% return on investment. The initial costs of establishment mean this scenario will breakeven in year seven. The lucerne pasture under the management of the Fish s with the same stocking rate pattern as that described in scenario 3, would breakeven at a gross margin of $20.00/DSE over the ten year period. This suggests that it is worthwhile to invest in the lucerne pasture as long as the gross margin is above $20.00/DSE. This lower gross margin reduces some of the risk associated with the assuming a gross margin of $34.28/DSE from year 3 onwards. There are other benefits that have not been considered in this analysis such as the value of summer feed on a cents per megajoule basis compared to buying this feed in, drought proofing the farm in years of low rainfall, improving the capital value of the farm with improvements to capital infrastructure, and 8

9 building confidence in managing a speciality pasture that comes with a risk of animal health concerns bloat. Also the transition of the lucerne pasture into the overall farm system has not been analysed. This economic and financial analysis shows the performance of the lucerne pasture as a stand alone paddock. Lucerne is a speciality pasture that grows high quality feed outside the normal growing season. John and Maureen Fish have a farm dominated by perennial pastures and for the purposes of this analysis the perennial pasture system has been directly compared to the speciality lucerne pasture. Transitioning the lucerne pasture into their whole farming system has not been examined in this analysis and it is expected that on a whole farm systems scale the lucerne can contribute to improving overall farm profitability. $3,000 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $/hectare $1,000 $500 $- -$ $1,000 -$1,500 Years Fish current farming system Lucerne system - Fish Lucerne system - best case District average Figure 4. The cumulative cash flow of the different scenarios for lucerne pasture establishment. Cost of production John and Maureen Fish have completed the Meat & Livestock Australia cost of production calculator over the last six years as shown in Figure 5. The enterprise, labour and overhead costs attributed to the beef enterprise are compared to total beef income. Total beef income is sales income adjusted for changes in livestock inventory. In the years where there is a gap between the top of the bar and the red total income diamond shows that there was sufficient income to meet expenses and operating profits were achieved. Cost of production has varied over the six year period ranging from $3.29 /kg lwt in to $1.23 /kg lwt in The drought in saw an increase in supplementary feed and high beef production as core breeding stock were sold. In the last four years operating costs have increased year on year. In the last two years the area sown to crop has decreased and therefore the allocation of overheads to the beef enterprise has increased. This is shown by the increased green overheads bar in figure 5 compared to two of the earliest years in the analysis. In the higher beef production, as a result of the lucerne pasture, has helped lower cost of production as compared to the previous year. 9

10 $3.50 $3.00 $ per kilogram liveweight $2.50 $2.00 $1.50 $1.00 $0.50 $ Years Enterprise costs Labour costs Overhead costs Total income Figure 5. Cost of production compared to total income per kilogram of liveweight on the Fish s property over the last six years, adjusted for inflation. NEW MARKETS Extended pasture growth provides opportunity for new markets One of the Fish s business objectives is to not supplementary feed at any time of the year. Their perennial pasture system does not support carrying extra stock over summer when there is little pasture growth. In the past steers and heifers were sold in September/October at 6-8 months of age when they were autumn calving. However more recently the Fish s have switched to spring calving selling steers and calves around the same time but at 10 months of age, also selling into the store market. The lucerne pasture was trialled to fill the feed gap in summer and early autumn. The extra pasture growth in the summer of from the summer-active lucerne meant that steers could be carried to 18 months of age instead of being sold at 10 months of age. The Ballarat beef group met in December 2010 and talked through two options for either selling steers in December (now) or holding onto the steers over summer. Selling the steers in December at an average weight of 391 kg liveweight into the store market would have received approximately $1.63/kg liveweight net of sale yard, agent and transport fees. The value of $1.63/kg lwt was the calculated price John and Maureen would have received despite a price of $1.90/kg liveweight offered in the sale yards. Holding the steers for an extra 12 weeks and selling in March direct to a feedlot involved no marketing or transport fees and for the 465 kg steers they received $2.10/kg liveweight. The sale price received of $1.63/kg in the option for selling in December can be directly compared to the $2.10/kg lwt as this is the income that they would receive. The extra costs were labour, valued at $20/hr for 2 hours per week, and pasture maintenance costs valued at $44/ha. The option that was decided was that heavier steers could be sold into a finished market attracting a higher price than that of the store market. The additional benefit of selling the steers into the finished market was $1,355 per hectare, or a 50% increase from selling in December, as shown in Table 5. Due to the increase in gross income, relative small costs and continual supply of summer feed the Fish s have decided to continue this system and sell heavier steers at around 18 months. 10

11 Table 5. The additional benefit from carrying steers over the summer and selling into a finished market. Store market Finished market Additional Income Time of selling 12 Dec March weeks Sales weight (kg lwt) Sales price ($/kg lwt) $1.63 $2.10 $0.47 Income ($/head) $637 $975 $338 Income per hectare $2,704 $4,138 $1,434 Costs Maintenance pasture costs $44 $44 Labour $20/hr) $35 $35 Total costs per hectare $79 $79 Net benefit per hectare $2,704 $4,059 $1,355 SUMMARY The economic performance of the lucerne pasture on John and Maureen Fish s farm has been analysed and discussed in terms of production and profitability. The kilograms of beef produced by the steers and heifers whilst grazing the lucerne between 21 September 2010 and 4 March 2011 were 594 kilograms per hectare. The additional grazing by the steers in the summer of , when previously there was a feed gap, lifted overall farm beef production by 19%. The higher stocking rate on the lucerne pasture of 24 DSE/ha compared to the district average of 8.5 DSE/ha results in 150% more beef production on a per hectare basis. The profitability of the lucerne pasture returns $598 per hectare and 14% return on investment at the end of the ten year life of the pasture. The high initial infrastructure and establishment costs and ongoing labour costs mean the system will breakeven in year seven. If the infrastructure and labour costs were excluded from the lucerne pasture there is potential to earn $1,719/ha or 51% return on investment. Under this best case scenario the profitability is comparable to the Fish s current perennial pasture system earning $1,950/ha at then end of year ten. The additional gain in selling the steers at 18 months of age in autumn at a time when they are most valuable has contributed to improving overall farm profitability. The ability to take advantage of the additional feed available at a different time of the year and the opportunity to enter new markets has been the success of the lucerne pasture on John and Maureen Fish s farm. References Tocker J and Berrisford T (2011) Livestock Farm Monitor Project Results Victorian Department of Primary Industries. 11

12 Appendix I Ballarat BetterBeef Meeting (10 December 2010) Notes from meeting held to review management and help John and Maureen Fish make decisions on future grazing and marketing options. John Fish update on the Lucerne pasture establishment The resistant annual ryegrass was cut for silage late Bloat capsules were inserted in the steers 22/09/2010. Heifers given bloat capsules, 1 heifer received a scratched throat leading to poor health. The heifer then received pain killers and antibiotics and improved condition. Steers and heifers were combined in a Lucerne paddock. After heavy rain the paddock became pugged and pasture health appears to have suffered. Pasture availability during the year has been about 3,000 kg DM. Could have had double the number of animals grazing the pasture. Fed silage everyday the animals were grazing to reduce the risk of bloat. Neil James notes on pasture as at 10 December The waterlogged paddocks are expected to die (this was later questioned you might be surprised ). However in the future as the tap root develops the plant will dry out the soil profile and won t have such a waterlogging effect. The trash in the paddocks is the dead annual ryegrass. Not too worried about this at the current time as we are concerned with the Lucerne pasture it is a Lucerne trial. Grazing management plan for the coming months 126 animals (steers and heifers) on the ungrazed blocks. Split steers and heifers when water is connected. Continue with steer and heifer rotation on a day rotation/shift. Other considerations/options for the pasture: They don t want water system to be labour intensive Taking a paddock out of the rotation and make Lucerne hay o Trouble with large machinery getting into the paddock o The effort for making hay on the small area does not make the it worthwhile Topping take the mower up and cut the top off the Lucerne and then the plant remains vegetative. You do not want to make windrows because the plants underneath will go mouldy and be killed. Risk of making hay with fragile Lucerne leaves and stalky phalaris plants is a tricky balancing act. The adult cows and their calves would be at the same risk of bloat as the steers and heifers. There is also the risk of overgrazing with the cows and calves. If the cows and calves were to graze the pasture it would be for short time periods (a couple of hours) but would be hard to get them out of the paddock. Livestock options Heifers In calf (chosen option) 12

13 o Get the heifers in calf to add a price premium to them when selling. Could add $200 per animal. o The time of calving won t limit the ability to sell the heifers in calf someone seems to buy heifers in calf at anytime. o Can arrange to hire a bull for about $275 for 6-8 weeks rather than buying a bull for $2,000. Would require 2 bulls. o You could arrange a buyer and sell them earlier. Keep, fatten and sell o You are then keeping them just to graze the grass. o The longer you have them (when not in calf) risk they will grow into cows and you will no longer get the better price for a younger animal. Steers Sell direct to feedlot Keep and grow out to heavy supermarket weights Japanese market (600+ kg) Sell off gradually based on the season 20 steers at a time Keep on until feed runs out and then sell direct to abattoirs Will make money from growing animals therefore keep them grazing whilst the feed is there and they are growing. (It is not costing any more money to feed them and the Lucerne needs grazing). 13

14 Appendix II: Evaluation sheet for final field day. BetterBeef & EverGraze Feedback Sheet Disclaimer: Future Farm Industries CRC, Meat and Livestock Australia, Australian Wool Innovation, The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Meat and Wool Services Branch, and the EverGraze project are committed to protecting personal information provided by you in accordance with the principles of the Information Privacy Act The information you provide will be stored on our client database, and used to notify you of events, courses, information and other services. It will also be used to help us keep our services relevant to your farm business. Your personal information will not be disclosed to any other organisation, unless authorised by law. If you wish to access information held about you or have any other enquires about the database please contact Gill Fry (EverGraze), Cheriel Tidd (DPI) or MLA on Name: Address: Postcode: Phone (H): Mobile: Farm area: ( ha or acres) Main enterprises (please tick): beef lamb wool cropping Total no. of sheep: Total no. beef cattle: (inc. cows, calves, steers, heifers) Total no. of beef breeders: Occupation (please tick): Producer Consultant/Extension Agribusiness Student Knowledge and Skill Please indicate the extent to which you increased your understanding A little and/or skills in the following areas A Lot The role of soil carbon in building healthy and productive soils How summer active perennials can potentially address the summer feed supply/quality gap on your farm, increase ground cover and reduce supplementary feeding costs How perennials can be used in the landscape to address problems such as salinity and water-logging and improving soils structure Assessing fodder conservation options that are best for my farm business Your thoughts on the event The following questions assist in evaluation. (Scale 1=Poor, 5=Average, 10= Excellent) How satisfied are you with this event? /10 How valuable do you think this type of event is in assisting you to manage your livestock enterprise? /10 Would you recommend this event to others? Yes No 14

15 What actions (if any) will your participation today prompt you to undertake? (please tick) Discuss practices with your consultant/advisor Seek more information or training Make a change in your management - please specify below YES NO MAYBE Planned changes as a result of this or other BetterBeef or EverGraze activities What do you hope to achieve by Intended Change Number of ha making the change? Changes already made on your farm as a result of previous BetterBeef or EverGraze activities? What do you hope to achieve by Change Number of ha making the change? Eg. improve soil health or increased stocking rate? Would you like to become an associate member of the BetterBeef Network (free of charge) to be informed of similar beef industry activities in the future? Yes No Already a Member MLA and DPI may contact me to further assess the impact of their programs? Yes No MLA and DPI may send me newsletters and inform me of future events? Yes No Additional feedback on the activity: Thank you for your attendance today 15

16 Results of evaluation. MLA - PRODUCER DEMONSTRATION SITE EVALUATION SUMMARY Main Enterprises on Main Enterprises farm Beef 9 Lamb 6 Wool 7 Cropping 7 Total no. of sheep Total no. of beef cattle 1457 Total no of beef breeders 510 Total no. of ha 5058 Occupation Producer 19 Consultant/extension 2 Agribusiness 2 Research 1 Knowledge and Skills (*/5) Average score (*/5) The role of carbon in building healthy and productive soils 4 How summer active perennials can potentially address the summer feed supply/quality gap on your farm, increase ground cover and reduce supplementary feeding costs 4 How perennials can be used in the landscape to address problems such as salinity and water logging and soil structure 3.5 Assessing fodder conservation oprtion that are best for my farm business 3.5 Thoughts on the event Average score (*/10) How satisfied are you with this event (*/10) 9 How valuable to you think this type of event is in assisting you to manage your livestock enterprise? (*/10) 9 22/23 would Would you recommend this event to others? (Y/N) recommend this What actions will your participation today prompt you to undertake? (Yes/No/Maybe) Yes No Maybe Discuss practices with your consultant/advisor Seek more information or training Make a change in your management

17 Appendix III Skills Audit As part of the contract with the PDS site a Skills Audit was conducted in 2009 and again in The results are presented below in chart form and the actual results for each question. Results show there was a 25% improvement in knowledge over the 2 year period. Pre skills audit vs Post skills audit percentage or correct answers Percentage of correct answers 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% In order to optimise establishment, production and longevity from a Lucerne Paddock, Olsen P levels should be ideally maintained at 13 and no higher. In order to optimise establishment, productivity and longevity from a Lucerne Paddock, ph (CaCl2) levels should be ideally maintained around 5.2 In order to optimise establishment, production and longevity from a Lucerne Paddock, Magnesium (Mg/kg) sould be maintained at less than 5 mg/kg. Lucerne is a plant that is generally able to withstand set stocking over a 12 month period Weed control of a Lucerne paddock would ideally take place in mid to late winter when there is a good weed germination. Questions If feed is limited in summer, a Lucerne pasture would be better suited to young growing weaners than older dry cows that have crop stubbles available. All varieties of Lucerne available in Australia have the same annual growing pattern throughout autumn, winter, spring and summer. Cattle may be susceptible to metabolic disorders such as bloat when placed/ entering/ grazing lucerne in the spring on a young freshly growing stand. Pre skills audit percentage of correct answers Post skills audit with percentage of correct answers. 17