Production

Graziers to share their experiences at Charters Towers forum

Beef Central, 05/10/2015

BEEF producers from across Queensland will share their successes at a forum in Charters Towers later this month.

Forum host, NQ Dry Tropics, has secured Meat & Livestock Australia managing director Richard Norton as a keynote speaker for the event, being held on Friday 16 October.

The forum is funded under the Australian Government’s Reef Program, that is reducing the impacts of agriculture on the Great Barrier Reef.

Forum chair, AgForce vice president Christine Rolfe, said the grazing industry in the North revolves around people who have a sense of pride in producing healthy pastures, running quality livestock, and raising successful families.

“The challenge for graziers is achieving these aims under the prevailing climatic, financial and environmental constraints facing the industry,” she said.

“This forum will showcase how some very successful grazing businesses are meeting these challenges,” she said.

Graziers from as far afield as the Darling Downs, Central and Western Queensland will share their experiences in a range of commercial situations in very different environments.

Beef producer Natalie Williams, a Nuffield Scholarship winner, will talk about her grazing land management journey undertaken on the family’s 7600ha property, Granville, in Central Queensland. Thanks to a property development plan and change of management over the last 10 years, the land and pasture is healthier, and able to carry more stock, for longer.

“In effect, we have turned some fairly average forest country into a high-quality resource,” she said.

Other speakers include:

  • Bec and David Comiskey (Alpha)
  • David Rankine (Prairie)
  • Geoffry Fordyce (Charters Towers)
  • Blair and Josie Angus (Signature Beef)
  • Jeffrey Schrale (ANZ)
  • Herron Todd White (Townsville)
  • Steve Taylor (Augathella)

NQ Dry Tropics’ CEO Dr Scott Crawford is heartened by the stories that the graziers are able to tell in the current difficult conditions.

“Our grazing field officers are increasingly working with dynamic and innovative producers who are looking for new ways to run their livestock businesses,” he said.

“They have new attitudes and are motivated to change. From our organisation’s perspective, they also are very conscious of the impact that their practices have on the Great Barrier Reef and they are working towards better pasture management which is good for the Reef and good for cattle performance,” Dr Crawford said.

The free forum is an all-day event and will be held at the Charters Towers Golf Club from 9am to 6pm.

A barbeque at the end of the forum will be a great opportunity to catch up with the day’s speakers.

 

  • Registrations are essential for catering so contact organiser Brendan Smith on 0417 408 587 or email Brendan at brendan.smith@nqdrytropics.com.au to secure your spot.

Source: NQ Dry Tropics.

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Tim McHugh, 06/10/2015

    What a total waste of time and money given the drought conditions existing over 80% of Queensland ! This money should be going to the tax paying graziers to help them maintain their herds to help the rebuilding process once it rains ! Think how much money has been wasted in recent months 🙁 The fact that Richard Norton is attending and speaking at this meeting tells me that our leadership of our industry is going backwards certainly not for the benefits of our levy paying graziers ! When you consider the market rise in recent months can be attributed to the falling Australian Dollar and the worst drought ever experienced by our industry where are the benefits of paying our levies ! John Anderson must feel a little guilty for what he set up !

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