Dr Hamideh Keshavarzi1, Dr Dean Thomas2, Fiona Anderson3, Trevor Price4, Clinton Revell5, Phil Vercoe6, John Milton7, Dr Ian Watson8
1CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Armidale, Australia, 2CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Wembley, Australia, 3Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia, 4Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development, Broome, Australia, 5Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, South Perth, Australia, 6The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia, 7UWA Institute of Agriculture, Crawley, Australia, 8CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Townsville, Australia
Biography:
Hamideh Keshavarzi is an animal welfare scientist with a background in animal breeding and genetics. Hamideh has over seven years of experience working with different projects nationally and internationally, mainly using new methods (machine learning, statistical and economic models) and technologies (sensors) in livestock reproduction, production, health, and behaviour & welfare. She is currently involved in two projects investigating different scenarios aimed at improving the profitability of beef cattle enterprises while maintaining environmental sustainability. She is particularly interested in how technical advice based on research studies can lead to problem-solving or other innovative processes.
Abstract:
The beef industry contributes about $1B annually to the economy of Western Australia (WA). The Kimberley region has about 70% of the northern cattle herd. Its tropical climate, with distinct wet and dry seasons and low population density, poses operational challenges. During the dry season, livestock suffer weight loss due to poor forage quality. The integration of cattle production and irrigated cropping, particularly with an expanding cotton industry in northern WA, offers an opportunity for a step-change in the efficiency of beef production, through improved feeding and finishing. This strategy could mitigate risks in the beef supply chain and reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity. Our study aimed to review and identify the potential challenges and opportunities for the increased use of irrigated crops and co-products in the northern WA beef industry. Key findings of our review were: 1) market diversification is essential for a sustainable cattle industry where supply chain disruptions can be mitigated; 2) ensuring consistent meat supply requires a systematic, integrated approach, as abattoirs face viability challenges due to supply fluctuations; 3) the cost of cropping infrastructure is a significant challenge, and the case for investment needs support from rigorous economic analysis and ‘trial-by-doing’; and 4) the bioeconomic model Crop Livestock Enterprise Model provides a suitable platform for evaluating a range of options for the sustainable intensification of the supply chain in northern WA. Our review provides a framework to assess economic and sustainability outcomes of changes in the beef supply chain in northern WA (e.g., new forage options, animal genetics, markets and animal management) that may be required to meet evolving needs of cattle markets.