April 15, 2013
South Burnett cattle producers are being urged to register with a Grazing Best Management Practice (BMP) program being developed by AgForce for the State’s cattle industry.
Pilot programs funded by the State Government have been operating in Fitzroy Basin catchment and in the Burdekin area but AgForce is now keen for the program to be taken up by graziers across the rest of Queensland.
AgForce Grazing BMP officer Mick Taylor said if South Burnett cattle producers registered their interest, he would be keen to arrange workshops on the program in the local area.
The BMP program consists of five modules which are completed online. These cover:
1. Soil Health
2. Grazing land management
3. Animal production (including genetics)
4. Animal health and welfare, and
5. People in business (including workplace health and safety, succession planning etc)
However each module also contains components from the others, so they cannot be completed in isolation from the rest.
The data input by graziers is completely anonymous but is aggregated at a regional level into “BMP nodes” to allow AgForce to be proactive in better directing funding or extension support.
“We don’t get to know who they are or why or what they’re imputting,” Mr Taylor said.
“It is all controlled by your password.”
However data from a 500km area can be collated anonymously to identify regional issues.
Mr Taylor said the modules provide an opportunity for graziers to develop an action plan and then go back later to assess what worked and what didn’t.
The BMP Grazing website is now live and growers can register online, however there are still some refinements to take place. The website should be totally operational by the end of this month.
AgForce BMP project manager Sue Dillon said the program provides the industry with a means to highlight the strong performance of the sector and correct misconceptions about livestock production.
“Grazing BMP will allow us to demonstrate we are an exceptional and ever-evolving, world-class industry. Producers need to be united in spreading this message,” Ms Dillon said.
For more information, contact Mick Taylor on 0438-363-001.
- Related article: Graziers Adopt BMP Plan
