Central West Mitchell Grasslands livestock production systems – Preparing for, responding to and recovering from drought

A report summarising results for the Central West Mitchell Grasslands region is available for download from the Improving profitability and resilience of beef and sheep businesses in Queensland – Preparing for, responding to, and recovering from drought project.

For this region, an integrated pasture and beef herd modelling approach was developed to allow the impact of climate variability on a range of grazing management scenarios to be modelled. This bio-economic evaluation found that setting livestock numbers based on safe pasture utilisation rate principles, but adopting a moderate degree of flexibility in altering livestock numbers in response to pasture availability, is likely to be the most profitable approach to grazing management while maintaining pasture and land condition over time. However, it was essential to economic viability that re-stocking occurred as soon as possible once good seasonal conditions returned.

Tactical strategies that may be applied in response to drought were also assessed in this report.