A new $24.4 million partnership between Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and MLA is planning to address three significant threats to beef productivity in northern Australia.

Pasture dieback in central Queensland.

The Queensland Pasture Resilience Program (QPRP) will incorporate research, development and extension activities across Queensland for the next five years and is also supported by the Australian Government through the MLA Donor Company (MDC).

It sill focus on pasture dieback, land condition decline and pasture rundown.

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.

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.

“This partnership is about helping our producers build on their world-leading success,” Qld Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said.

“The program will form the centrepiece of the Queensland Government and MLA’s feedbase investment in Queensland.

“With a heavy focus on adoption, this program will give graziers the skills they need to improve the sustainability and profitability of their businesses, and that means good jobs for Queenslanders.”

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) managing director Jason Strong said pasture was the foundation of profitable and sustainable beef production, and the QPRP would strenghthen our pasture systems from the ground up.

“The QPRP is a long-term partnership that will tackle major issues including pasture rundown, declining land condition and pasture dieback with practical research and adoption activities, creating a pathway to help producers lift their productivity.

“It will also link strongly with the industry’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30), as resilient and productive pastures are a key component of the CN30 target.”

Source: Qld Government. Call 13 25 23 or email info@daf.qld.gov.au for more information.