Summer and wet season resource hubs now online
24 November 2020
Producers can now access regionally-relevant resources to support seasonal on-farm decision making this summer with the launch of both a Summer Hub for southern producers and Northern Wet Season Hub on Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) website.
The Summer Hub provides a suite of resources for southern beef, sheep and goat producers, while the Wet Season Hub features resources for northern beef producers.
MLA General Manager, Research, Development and Adoption, Michael Crowley, said the hubs include a range of all-new resources to support producers in their business planning in the lead-up to summer and throughout the season.
“The hubs have particular relevance to the 2020-21 season, with a focus on issues and opportunities that may occur within a range of seasonal conditions across production regions,” Mr Crowley said.
“With the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting above average rainfall across many parts of Australia for December to February, this wet season may present new opportunities and some potential challenges for northern producers.
“The Wet Season Hub contains tips and tools on calf loss in northern breeder herds, wet season spelling for improved pasture performance, providing supplementary phosphorus to livestock for cattle health and productivity and tips for reducing parasite and disease risks in herds.
“As the weather heats up, southern producers can put strategies in place to maintain livestock health and productivity throughout the season.
“The Summer Hub includes Containment Feeding Guidelines for sheep producers, covering pen design, stocking rates, flock management, feeding strategies, updates on the use of summer-active feed types such as forage brassicas and lucerne and health considerations.
“It also features tips for filling the summer feed gap and managing the impacts of extreme weather events or seasonal conditions.
“Both hubs are being regularly updated with new information as the season progresses.”
The new hubs add to the library of web-based hubs on the MLA website, providing a ‘one-stop shop’ of best practice advice, tools and information for topics relevant to producer needs.
To visit MLA’s Summer Hub, click here, and the Northern Wet Season Hub here
