ABARE/APSRU Model Integration
| Project start date: | 03 April 2008 |
| Project end date: | 30 April 2008 |
| Publication date: | 30 April 2008 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Grainfed cattle |
Summary
The need for reliable supplies of feedgrains to underpin on-going growth in the intensive livestock industries was highlighted in a number of analyses undertaken by the Agricultural Production Systems Research Unit (APSRU), ABARE and MLA during the period 2003-07. These reports also highlighted the impact of drought on the reliability of this supply and identified the need for advance information on these events to permit a timely response from the user industries.
This project was initiated to undertake the further development and refinement of the ABARE-APSRU predictive national feed grain system model as a means to aid contingency planning in the intensive livestock industries. The initial undertaking of the project was to establish whether grain stock data could be sourced on a State, or preferably regional, basis from the major grain handling/ marketing companies.
While these companies did approve ABS to release monthly grain stock data at the national level, they did not agree to the release of State or regional based monthly stock data. As access to this data was a necessary precursor to further development of the ABARE-APSRU integrated modelling exercise, the project did not proceed past this initial decision point.
