Program helps estimate risks for grazing lease

摘要

Taking on a grazing lease can be a highly profitable way to expand a grazing business, or an expensive step into the unknown. The viability of a lease depends on livestock and fertiliser investments and production risks for a particular enterprise at the lease location. However, if the lease is in an unfamiliar district, the producer may be uncertain about predicting pasture production and estimating optimum stocking rates and management. One way to examine a grazing enterprise is to use the computer-based simulation tool GrassGroTM. Grant and Annette Burbidge are finewool producers at Tarcutta on the southwest slopes of NSW. The home property receives 800 millimetres of rainfall annually and improved paddocks are carrying near-optimum sustainablestocking rates of about 22 dry sheep equivalents a hectare. The Burbidges wanted to increase the scale of their wool enterprise to reduce the costs of production. They considered leasing a property on the southern tablelands of NSW. The lease was stocked at about 11 dse/ha on phalaris/sub-clover pastures with poor soil fertility and an average rainfall of 740mm.