The first field day to be held at the Old Man Plains Research Station on the outskirts of Alice Springs will bring together pastoralists from the central Australian region to hear the latest in grazing land management.
The Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources’ Pastoral Extension Officer, Sally Leigo, says pastoralists play a major role as land managers over vast amounts of the Northern Territory and this field day will inform them of the various options they have when it comes to deciding how to manage their country.
“We will be providing pastoralists with the latest information to help them improve their pastures, make informed decisions about how they use their grass and lift the productivity of their country, Ms Leigo said.
“We will be having a number of pastoralists from both the Alice Springs region and interstate talking about their experiences and the grazing systems they use.
“It will be a great chance for pastoralists to pick their brains and learn from the success and challenges that others have faced.
“They will discuss and learn about how much pasture is required to keep cattle healthy, how to manage a property with extreme variable rainfall, impacts of different grazing systems and how they can look to improve cattle performance,” Ms Leigo said.
“The day will be a fantastic opportunity for pastoralists to learn more about one of the biggest drivers in their business – grass.
“Encouraging good grass growth will in turn lead to fatter cattle and fatter profits”, Ms Leigo said.
The field day is a result of the Central Australian Grazing Systems Partnership with the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Northern Territory Government, the CSIRO, Desert Knowledge CRC, Mount Riddock Station and the Centralian Land Management Association.
The OMP Field Day will be held on Friday October 2nd. For further information please contact Sally Leigo, Pastoral Extension Officer on 08 8951 8144.