The Northern Australian Beef Fertility Project – also known as ‘Cash Cow’ – aims to:
- Provide producers with support tools to help improve reproductive performance
- Identify and quantify the factors behind mob-level reproductive performance
- Involve approximately 40,000 cattle in 154 mobs across 77 commercial properties across northern Australia
- Ultimately the project should provide analytical tools that will support producers in mob-level decisions to improve reproductive performance
The four-year project, funded by MLA and run by the University of Queensland, will also involve 36 private veterinarians who will work with participating producers to collect information over the four years.
The Cash Cow project is being strongly supported by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries, Northern Territory Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries & Mines.
Why target reproductive performance?
Herd reproductive performance is a key profit driver of northern beef productivity yet the relative importance of the many factors that impact reproductive performance are not well understood.
‘Cash Cow’ aims to provide some answers to change this.
As such, losses of between 5-10 per cent in cows and 15-20 per cent in heifers from pregnancy testing to weaning are the norm across the industry and have been documented in numerous research projects.
Cash Cow needs you!
MLA’s Cash Cow project is looking for beef producers who want to be involved in Phase II the project.
Whilst the pilot project is underway, the project team needs to start identifying collaborators for the second phase of the project as soon as possible – participating producers will need to be prepared to commit both cattle and time to the project. In return they will receive a detailed analysis and understanding of how their animals are performing and how this compares to other properties.
For more information about being involved in the Cash Cow project contact:
Sandi Jephcott
Cash Cow Project Coordinator
Mobile: 0437 259 631
Email: dumpu@bigpond.com.
For more information about MLA's involvement in the Cash Cow project contact:
Wayne Hall
Phone:07 3620 5228
Email: whall@mla.com.au