AgriBenchmark

Summary

Agri benchmark is a global, non-profit and non-political network of agricultural economists, advisors, producers and specialists in key sectors of agricultural value chains that has produced comparative results of beef farming systems in various countries over the last 13 years.

Analysis of typical Australian beef farming systems has been available for the last eight years, with 7 typical beef farming systems currently annually analysed.  Following the highly successful international conference held in Townsville and Brisbane in 2010 (with MLA support), the Australian network was formalised and has continued to produce high-quality beef and sheep industry farm performance data, including participation in the 2011 to 2015 conferences, and resulted in continued growth of the national and international network.

The 2010 conference saw the successful introduction of a sheep module and the 2014 comparative results are available from 7 Australian typical sheep farms (Hamilton, VIC; Cowra NSW; Gulargumbone, NSW; Armidale NSW; Morawa, WA; Corrigin, WA; Kojonup, WA) as well as farms from South Africa, Spain, France, Germany, Brazil, China, New Zealand, UK, Uruguay and five other countries. Further consolidation of methods and techniques for analysis of the data occurred in 2011 and in 2015/16 (customised for Australian reporting) with additional sheep systems being introduced in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The cattle and sheep network currently has 30 member countries (30 countries in beef finishing, 25 in cow-calf, and 15 in sheep), covering 90% of world beef production and 55% of global sheepmeat production.

To date, Australia's involvement in the agri benchmark network has been supported by funding and in-kind contributions from the MLA, Charles Sturt University and the agri benchmark network itself. Earlier in the networks development funding and in-kind support was received from NSW Department of Primary Industry, the Beef CRC, and the Sheep CRC. Over the 2016-2018 project period (3 years), Charles Sturt University is proposed to support the maintenance of core Australian data collections and participation in the international network.  MLA funding is required to cover the agri benchmark membership, the cost of expanding the feedlot and northern cattle analysis (in 2016), as well as maintaining the typical farms in the network; the cost of sending two representatives to the annual conference (to be held in Spain in 2016); and in extending the results to MLA and their stakeholders. 

MLA's funding of the agri benchmark membership provides full access to the network software and data analysis tools; the global and domestic comparative data and analyses; involvement in the annual conference; and hard copies of the annual report provided to MLA and Charles Sturt University.

The comparative farm information produced for beef enterprises over the past four years has clearly demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of Australian beef and sheep farming systems. This includes allowing comparisons between countries on the cost of production, prices received and profitability of various countries.

In 2013 the inaugural edition of the RMMR How are global & Australian beef and sheepmeat producers performing? Global agri benchmark network results 2013, was published by MLA, in addition to two brochures introducing the key outcomes from the project for distribution amongst stakeholders. The 2014 issue of the RMMR (How are global and Australian beef and sheepmeat producers performing? Global agri benchmark network results 2014), and associated beef and sheep brochures, which cover the 2013 farm results, were also published during October 2014. In 2015, MLA also published the third edition of the RMMR detailing the outcomes of the 2014 analysis year. This output, in addition to input into presentations, is a key component of extending the results of the project to MLA stakeholders, and annual editions are to be published under this research agreement.
This research report is only available for subscribing members, therefore the final report cannot be published online.