A research project is underway in the Kimberley designed to grow future beef production options in our State’s north, while creating a circular economy through the use of irrigated crop by-products in cattle feed.
The WA Agricultural Research Collaboration’s (WAARC) inaugural Cropping Enabled Cattle project will examine how high-protein cotton seed and meal, maize and other irrigated crop supplements impact cattle growth, health and welfare, performance, time to market and meat quality.
The project aims to develop an integrated cropping and cattle production system, enabling pastoralists to produce an animal that is more widely marketable.
This $6 million, three-year initiative is a co-investment between WAARC and several partners including the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation.
The project benefits from the scientific expertise and collaboration of several WAARC members: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), CSIRO, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia alongside local producers and industry.
DPIRD is leading the project at the department’s Frank Wise Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Kununurra, where more than 50 Brahman cattle have arrived to be part of the feedlot research trials.
WAARC Director Kelly Pearce said the Cropping Enabled Cattle project was part of a broader effort to enhance Western Australia’s northern agriculture synergies, productivity and sustainability across the cropping and cattle sectors.
“The expansion of the cotton industry in the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) has created an exciting opportunity to explore confinement feeding with cotton seed,” Dr Pearce said.
“Cotton seed is a high-quality source of protein and energy and when used as a supplement, it can contribute to improved growth rates and feed efficiency in beef steers, reducing time to market.”
Innovative sensor technologies will be used throughout the project such as rumen (oral), subcutaneous (under skin) and external (collar) to monitor the cattle’s physiology and behaviour in this tropical environment.
The cattle’s welfare will be closely monitored to ensure their wellbeing, and project staff are being trained in stress-free stockmanship techniques.
The project is also strengthening research capabilities in the region through the creation of three new Kimberley-based positions, and industry-based PhD appointment opportunities between WAARC members.
“Research findings will empower pastoralists to make informed decisions about the benefits and cost-effectiveness of cotton seed supplementation as an alternative to pasture-based backgrounding,” Dr Pearce said.
“We’re excited to see the outcomes of the Cropping Enabled Cattle project for northern pastoralists and ORIA irrigators, including the development of sustainable feeding practices and economic modelling of supply chains for the long-term productivity of WA’s northern agriculture industries.”
Economic analysis of the feed system and potential supply chains will be developed and shared, as will best practices for on-farm implementation.
“The Cropping Enabled Cattle project is a key part of the CRCNA’s broader Cotton, Grain, Cattle Program, which is strengthening economic resilience across key agricultural regions in the north,” said Dr Ian Biggs, Senior Project Manager at the CRCNA.
“By fostering integration between local cropping and cattle systems, we’re creating new opportunities for producers to diversify, increase productivity, and build greater resilience to market and climate challenges.
“This program supports collaboration across research, industry and community to develop practical, regionally relevant solutions such as profitable business and job opportunities that will drive long-term economic growth in the north.”
WAARC is backed by $25 million in State Government funding to boost Western Australia’s research capacity and industry sustainability.
