South Queensland
Chairman
Andrew Gray
A-Bar-Dot Genetics
“Uambi”
TEXAS QLD 4385
Phone: 07 4653 1424
Mobile: 0428 531 424
Fax: 07 46 531 665
Email: abardotgenetics@activ8.net.au
Secretary
Roger Sneath
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
PO Box 102, TOOWOOMBA QLD 4350
Phone: 07 4688 1244
Email: roger.sneath@daf.qld.gov.au
Regional Priorities – South Queensland
1. Improving pasture productivity and management
- Grazing land / pasture management
- Decline in resource base
- Soil fertility
- Pasture growth & composition
- Grazing land management
- Productive paddocks (pasture, crop, legumes, Leucaena?)
- Understand ecosystem
- Best practices adopted – pasture management, grazing management
- Animal performance on natural & improved pasture in SQLD
- Improved species – oats/barley, sorghum, pastures (grass, legumes)
- Longevity of legumes in grazing pastures
- Clover / medic winter herbage. Options for bloat control.
- Change temperature control for medic to germinate early
- Higher nutritional pastures
- Pasture / forage rundown & management
- Pasture run down options for regeneration
- Stock grazing recording
- Total grazing pressure – stocking rates & kangaroos, goats
- Fence technology to control total grazing pressure
- Feed (grain) supply
2. Image of Agriculture
- Perceptions – better relationships between city and country
- Grazier perception – not rapists’ of land but producers of food
- Case study / success stories on sustainable production
- Animal welfare practices need to be acceptable to wider community
- Minimising effects of government carbon emission policy on industry
- South versus north in NABRC
- Impacts of industries eg mining
- National communities understanding of agriculture
- Communication of what we do (NABRC & SQRBRC)
3. Marketing
- Enhancing new and existing markets
- Enhancing beef’s nutritional qualities
- Improving meat quality
- Social based marketing of our meat
- Having counter marketing plans (to adverse information)
4. Reproduction and genetics
- Sire trace bulls in extensive beef operations to assess genetic performance
- Genetic evaluation of breeds other than Angus/Hereford/Brahman for various traits
- Causes & control of calf loss from PTIC to weaning in southern QLD
- DNA marker for spiral deviation in bulls
- Breed cattle resistant to buffalo fly
5. Adapting to climate change
- Climate change – understanding, adaptation, mitigation
- Sequestration
- Grass / tree balance
- The mix of shrub-tree in productive grazing land
6. Extension & adoption
- Efficient human capacity building
- Better availability of information & trials of new technology to industry
6. Remote technology (labour saving)
- Capturing technology for our benefit (eg observant)
- Radio technology & cameras & night
7. Develop an understanding of our area – numbers, production, demographics.
- Target ‘300’ – improve efficiency of production