Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) recently released its annual Producer Adoption Outcomes Report, highlighting the significant benefits of its adoption programmes. Between 2015 and 2023, these programmes generated a net profit of $1.04 billion for producers who embraced new practices.
In the fiscal year 2022-23, the programmes provided $59 million in annual net benefits, benefiting 13,757 producers engaged in learning and training activities to enhance their businesses.
Sally Leigo, MLA’s Programme Manager for Adoption, emphasised the importance of prioritising producers’ needs. The adoption programme offers comprehensive services, including training products, group learning, individual coaching, and resources.
These services empower producers to enhance their business skills and improve pasture and livestock management by leveraging the latest research, technology, and best management practices.
The report also highlighted the positive impact on livestock numbers in 2022-23: 9.3 million sheep, 8.7 million cattle, and 536,179 goats benefited from the practice change initiatives by MLA. Landholders involved in these adoption initiatives also managed 157.5 million hectares of Australian agricultural land.
Key programs for producers under MLA include Profitable Grazing Systems (PGS), Producer demonstration sites (PDS), and the EDGE Network. These initiatives offer insights into essential management practices through supported learning packages, peer interactions, and workshops.
The PGS programme, in particular, saw a surge in engagement in 2022-23, especially in northern Australia. This programme alone is projected to deliver $269.2 million in net benefits to producers from 2015 to 2022.
Similarly, the PDS programme provided $215.1 million in net benefits between 2015 and 2023.
The EDGE Network offers workshops from one to three days, designed by industry experts and vetted by producers. This network has six available courses, with two more in development, set to launch in 2023 and 2024.
The EDGE Network’s workshops from 2015 to 2022 have resulted in $468.4 million in total net benefits for participating producers.
