In 1992, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) a producer owned company that provides services to the entire australian red meat industry, initiated the ecograze project. Ecograze was intended to provide innovative management options for the pastures in the eucalyptus woodlands of nort-east queensland. It was an eight year collaborative research project undertaken by staff of the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Sustainable Ecosystems and Queensland Department of Primary Industries with input from Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines. It formally concluded in 2001. However many of the analyses and extension activities have been ongoing since then.
Ecograze was conducted on five commercial grazing properties that spanned different conditions and consequently allowed extrapolation of results to a much wider area across northern australia. Practical grazing management strategies have been developed. The ecograze team assessed the economic implications of managing land in various states by linking a pasture production model to a model of farm economics.
Research teams are currently testing the grazing management technology in commercial situation to understand the real costs and implications of implementing the research derived ecograze recommendations. The on-farm tests are supported by a number of new initiatives. These include a MLA funded project to specifically implement the ecograze principles on farms as a means of reducing sediment and nutrients pollution of water bodies. The national action plan for salinity and water quality through incentives supports land management practices to reduce erosion, increase ground cover and minimize runoff. Funding is also provided by the natural heritage trust to fence and sub-divide paddocks.
All of these initiatives are supported by state government agencies, who have extension staff based in the regions to assist farmers with implementing new practices. In case of ecograze there are extension officers in the north east queensland region who are actively promoting its management principles and are assisting producers in planning new strategies. Many of the ecograze principles are also included in a new Grazing Land Management (GLM) Education package developed by MLA and research and development agencies. The GLM package which is delivered via a three day workshop is being extended to producers across northern Australia.
