Arresting grazing land condition decline in Queensland’s northern gulf should be framed around improving business performance

Abstract

Monitoring Australia’s Northern Gulf region over the past two decades has shown a continuous decline in land condition, reflecting declining capacity to respond to rainfall and produce useful livestock forage. In 2004, 69% of monitored sites had their carrying capacity estimate reduced based on one or more land condition indicators, increasing to 92% in 2023. If grazing pressure and management on the ever-diminishing natural resource base continues as is, the rate of decline in land condition may further escalate.

On-property experience and research results demonstrate the importance of improved land condition, and consequently improved long-term land and animal productivity, profitability, and resilience to climatic variability. Northern beef industry financial performance data confirm business performance is maximised when per animal performance is maximised. But barriers to adoption persist and these must be overcome. Therefore, landholder engagement and extension efforts to improve land condition should focus on improving business performance through maximising per head animal performance while addressing constraints to adoption.