Learning how to assess pastures, as well as understanding their quality and quantity, is key to managing profitable and sustainable grazing systems.
Image - Participants at a Prograze workshop at Yarrowitch.
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services is delivering the renowned Prograze course which provides producers with valuable skills in pasture and animal assessment.
Prograze is based on established, proven principles of pasture and livestock production. The first course delivered by Northern Tablelands Local Land Services was in April this year and saw over thirty enterprises from Walcha, Uralla, Guyra and Ebor benefit from expertise and valuable information.
Georgie Oakes, Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Agronomist, is one of the facilitators of the highly successful program.
“We are extremely pleased with how producers have engaged with the program during the toughest seasonal conditions. It shows that producers are making the connection between pasture management and livestock requirements,” said Georgie.
Producers develop the skills to: visually assess pasture quality and quantity; understand how pasture quality and quantity impact animal production; assess livestock fat scores; and use pasture and livestock assessments to match pastures to livestock requirements.
“Producers learn how to use grazing management to improve pasture productivity and sustainability, as well as using fodder budgeting to maximise pastures and fodder crops,” explained Georgie.
Using pasture and livestock assessments to make supplementary feeding decisions, and using grazing management to help control worms, is also covered in the program.
The program, which is delivered by Northern Tablelands Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, runs over eight months, which enables pasture assessments at different times of the year.
“On the back of what they have learnt, producers are forecasting and making management decisions earlier. They are identifying their stock classes and matching their nutritional requirements to their pasture availability,” Georgie explained.
Jordie Muller, a landholder based north-east of Walcha, was attracted to the course because of its combination of resources in assessing both agronomy and animal production.
“The program is excellent. It has given me the ability to confidently assess pasture and make informed decisions about animal nutrition as a result. From the outset, I have taken the skills learnt from the program and put them into practice,” said Jordie.
“The most significant aspect of the program is fitting together information delivered by animal production experts and agronomists. This combination of expertise has proved extremely useful. Having the opportunity to address a range of issues that are assimilated is an awesome tool,” said Jordie.
Meeting livestock requirements with pastures that have been considerably reduced during drought is a massive challenge. For those taking part in a Prograze course a multitude of resources will be at their fingertips to enable them to confidently face the task.
“We will be delivering two more courses in the next six months so if you are interested in participating please give me a call on 0429 310 264 or georgie.oakes@lls.nsw.gov.au,” said Georgie.
