Producer demonstration sites

MLA’s Producer Demonstration Sites (PDS) program aims to increase the rate of adoption of key management practices and technologies that improve business profitability and productivity, by shortening the time lag between technological innovation and adoption of practices by producers.

The PDS program supports groups of livestock producers to adapt, validate and demonstrate the business value of integrating new management practices and associated skills into local farming systems. The key outcome of a PDS is producer adoption of the demonstrated management practices resulting in improved business performance.

Producer groups are provided with a practical hands on environment that enables them to share experiences and participate in the commercial application of research outputs.

Funding

Funding is available to groups of producers who wish to adapt, validate and demonstrate the business value of integrating new technologies and on-farm management practices into local farming systems.

Funding is specifically aimed at supporting producers advance the sustainable and profitable production of red meat. Groups will require a person experienced in group facilitation and extension, monitoring and evaluation of on-farm practice change and communication and reporting, to oversee the demonstration.

Projects can apply for funding grants of up to $25,000(ex GST) over a maximum of three years

How to apply

MLA is calling for preliminary applications for PDS sites related to improving sheep enterprise, beef cattle enterprise and goat enterprise business profitability and productivity and that are able to commence during 2017. Funding is available for up to 5 sheep, 10 beef cattle and 2 goat projects this round. Additional open calls for applications may follow.

Webinar: Producer Demonstration Site open call
Recorded: 5 October 2016

Are you thinking of submitting a funding application to MLA’s Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) program open call? To give yourself the best chance of getting your application approved, watch this short webinar where program coordinator Russell Pattinson and MLA project managers provide tips and suggestions for how to ensure your application as compelling as possible.

The webinar provides an overview of the application process and dates to note for the 2016 call, walks through an example of a well-structured PDS application, talks through common mistakes/what not to do, gives an overview of what activities are and aren’t eligible for funding and provide some examples of effective communication and monitoring and evaluation plans.

This webinar is a must see for potential PDS coordinators and interested producer groups.

Please note: This webinar was recorded in October 2016, therefore due dates, number of projects likely to be funded and priority areas mentioned in this video may not apply to subsequent open calls. Please refer to the Terms of Reference in the below table for the specifics of the latest open call.

Producer Demonstration Site project reporting

All PDS projects are required to report on progress at 6 monthly intervals, and to submit a final report when the project is complete. An annual teleconference will be held between MLA, MLA PDS Coordinator, Producer Group chair and PDS facilitator to review progress.

• PDS progress report template
• PDS final report template

More information

Marine Empson
Phone: (07) 3620 5233
Email: mempson@mla.com.au

Or

Russell Pattinson
MLA Producer Demonstration Site Coordinator
Phone 0419 872 684
Email: miracledog@bigpond.com