The investments are part of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD’s) Northern Beef Development program’s Producer Innovation Fast Track grant initiative.
Twenty Kimberley and Pilbara grant recipients are co-investing in a range of ag-tech and digital systems to boost business performance, resilience and sustainability.
DPIRD Northern Beef Development project manager Trevor Price said pastoralists were using the grants to explore ways to drive efficiency in their businesses – particularly data driven decision making.
“This is centred around capturing production data through the use of livestock handling equipment and management systems about pregnancy status and weight, for example, as well as water and feed availability to improve animal performance,” he said.
Learnings from the investments are being shared via the northern pastoral network.
The videos feature Anna Plains station in the Pilbara, which has implemented an Optiweigh system, and Mandora station, where water point delivery of nutritional supplements is being trialled.
Anna Plains leasee David Stoate and daughter Jo discuss how the Optiweigh system will aid herd management and inform marketing decisions.
“Everyone knows you’ve got to farm smarter as the years go by so it’s a matter of grabbing whatever technology you can and implementing it in your business the best way possible,” Mr Stoate said.
Mandora station manager David Leppard provides an insight into how the water supplement system has improved labour efficiencies and herd performance.
“For us, going down the line of water supplement is something that we’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” he said.
“It’s been good being given the opportunity now through DPIRD that we can go ahead and learn a bit more.”
Mr Price said the PIFT funding aimed to help pastoralists take their businesses to the next level by accelerating the adoption of research, development, technology and innovation.
“These investments will contribute to improved business performance and benchmarking, sustainable rangeland management practices, livestock herd performance and labour efficiencies,” he said.
“This initiative supports the Northern Beef Development program objectives of pursuing best practice management to boost productivity, business resilience, environmental sustainability and animal welfare – driving regional jobs and economic growth.”
The PIFT videos can be viewed on DPIRD’s YouTube channel.
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