The Pastures and Livestock Productivity Project

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Pastures and Livestock Productivity Project is seeking to improve pasture quality and quantity as a basis for increasing livestock production in Tasmania. 

Red meat is a significant contributor to the State economy accounting for about 20 per cent of the gross value of agricultural production.  

The Project has developed an understanding of producers knowledge of pastures through Social Research and is using this to develop and deliver an extension program to help producers to understand and adopt pasture management technologies. 

Increasing on farm production of meat cattle and sheep can contribute to the post farm gate processing sector. 

The Project complements the Tasmanian Red Meat Industry Working Group​ which recognises the importance of pastures in red meat production.

Outputs for the project include:​

  1. Social Research Report by RMCG Consulting Group Pty Ltd (see report below)

  2. Five additional perennial pastures and three perennial legumes as part of the suite of Enterprise Suitability Mapping Tools on LISTmap. 

  3. Guide for Tasmanian Pastures and Field Crops Edition 2 - 2021.  You can contact Rowan Smith at Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture rowan.smith@utas.edu.au for a copy

  4. The Pasture Pathways Small Project Fund for extension activities that address barriers identified in the Social Research Report (case studies of outcomes of the projects listed below to be uploaded to this page February 2022)

This Pastures and Livestock Productivity Project commenced mid-April 2018 with a report due to Government by June 2022.

$648,000 over three years has been allocated to the Project.  Funding has been allocated from the State Government’s Sustainable Agri-Food Plan 2019-23, the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture.

Species for Tasmanian graziers guide to pasture, forage and fodder crops is now available by contacting rowan.smith@utas.edu.au.​

Pasture Pathways Sma​​ll Project Fu​nd​​

In 2020-2021 the Tasmanian Government made $340,000 available for extension projects to help farmers develop good pasture management.

The following projects have been approved under the Small Project Fund:

Recipient​​
​Project Summary
​King Island NRM Group
​Combination of Pasture ID field days, a short course  and farmer peer-to-peer discussion on King Island.
​Regenerative Agriculture Network of Tasmania
​Focus on unmodified native grasslands in ‘run country’ and regeneration of both introduced and native diverse perennial pasture.  Trials, discussion groups, webinars will be undertaken.
​Tamar NRM
​​Build on MLA Pasture Improvement Project and share learnings to 200 producer database and new cohort of red meat producers in Tamar Valley with peer-to-peer approach.
​Macquarie Franklin and JBS
​Project to improve out of season livestock production system and targets producers involved in finishing backgrounding and agistment enterprises during autumn and winter. Incorporates face to face workshops and whole business beef enterprise economic tool and two case studies.
​Macquarie Franklin and Greenhams
​Targets producers in high rainfall areas with training in use of feed budget tools.  Co-learning with Greenhams in face to face on-farm workshops.  Two case studies to be developed
​Derwent Catchment Project
​Project based in low rainfall pasture production area of Bothwell, Ouse, Hamilton and Granton. Will develop pasture condition scoring tool and management support resources for farmers to critically assess pasture resource and plan more effectively.  Dryland grazing course will be integrated
​Farmers for Climate Action
​Farmers for Climate ActionIncrease knowledge of climate-smart agricultural strategies with the use of perennial pastures.  Additional information will be incorporated with on-farm emissions abatement.  Will explore the use of pasture improvement to build soil carbon.

​Pasture Condition Score Sheet

Developed as part of the Pastures Pathway Small Project Fund, this fact sheet will help to get you started in the fine art of assessing the condition of each of your paddocks. ​​

Social Research Report​

Please find below the Social Research Report:

 Social Research Report (PDF 11Mb)

LISTmap Enterprise Suitability Layers​

  • New Enterprise Suitability layers for 8 pasture and clover species (Cocksfoot Continental, Cocksfoot Mediterranean, Phalaris Tall Fescue – continental, Tall Fescue – Mediterranean, White Clover, Red Clover and Strawberry Clover) have been completed for current climate (to 2018) and for 2030 and 2050 projection scenarios. 

  • New Pasture Specific Versatility Index map layers that incorporate all new and existing pasture species have been completed for current climate and for 2030 and 2050 projection scenarios. 

Pasture specific versatility index is available for 2018 (current) and for projected climate to 2030 and 2050.
More information is available on the LIST website.

ESM layers based on CFT projected climate to 2050 can be found on LISTmap. More information is available on the LIST website.​

Contact

FarmPoint

PO Box 46,
Kings Meadows, TAS, 7249.