2014, Volume 11, Paper 1

System changes to a lamb farm in south-west Victoria: some pre-experimental modelling

Thomas Jackson – Formerly Agriculture Research Division, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Parkville, Vic, Australia.

J. Heard – Agriculture Research Division, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Hamilton, Vic, Australia
and Red Meat Innovation Centre, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Hamilton, Vic, Australia.

B. Malcolm – Red Meat Innovation Centre, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Hamilton, Vic, Australia
and Agriculture Research Division, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Parkville, Vic, Australia.

Abstract

There is limited capital available to spend on livestock research programs. Consequently, it is important to estimate the potential economic impact of changing on-farm factors within farm systems at the outset, to identify which changes may have big payoffs and which ones look less attractive. We present the results of some pre-experimental modelling to inform on the most suitable targets for research efforts in the Victorian lamb industry. Increased stocking rate through improved weaning percentage generated the highest average annual profit after interest and tax of all the scenarios investigated, increasing average annual net profit from the base farm system by 40%. Potentially attractive innovations that allow earlier mating, increased growth rates, increased lamb feed efficiency, faster lamb turnoff, reduced animal health costs and increased ewe fleece weight did not rank as highly in terms of profit and risk as the traditional, well known innovations.

Keywords: Lamb production, system changes, economics

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