E-Beef Smart Farming in Northern Queensland – improving pasture and business sustainability through adoption of the latest tools and technologies

Abstract

Managing cattle production in the rangelands of northern Queensland is a challenging job. E-Beef Smart Farming in Northern Queensland aims to support producers by showing how technology can support timely management decisions that enhance pastures, groundcover, soils, land condition, business profitability and adaptability.
The E-Beef Smart Farm Project, funded by the National Landcare Program, is a collaboration between three northern Queensland Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions – Southern Gulf, Northern Gulf and Desert Channels; in partnership with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and innovative commercial agribusinesses.
The project involves the establishment of six Smart Farm demonstration properties and associated Innovation Hubs (learning groups) to investigate the relationship between weekly averaged live cattle weights; regular satellite data measuring greenness and groundcover; and their impact on a business’s profitability using a business analysis platform over three seasons.
It is demonstrating that groundcover, land condition, animal performance and marketing are intrinsically linked, and that business resilience is strengthened through integrated management of both natural resources and animal production.