P.PSH.1234 - Innovative Sheep and Beef Networks

Summary

The project (conducted from May 2021 to December 2024) sought to extend and tailor services to meet the diverse needs of the existing BWBL and BB network and broader Victorian livestock producers. The project supported increased business performance and preparedness to address future challenges . This was done using a range of innovative and traditional approaches to increase producer knowledge and improve skills and capacity to improve farm performance. Producers were supported to engage in a dynamic learning journey starting from wherever they wanted to start (introductory measurements, more intermediate products or full business analysis) and service providers were trained and supported to assist producers on the journey.

Objectives

Outcome 1: Innovative Producer Network 
A more innovative and coordinated Victorian sheep and beef network that is managing the delivery of highly valued products and services.
Objectives
Victorian sheep and beef producer networks are:
1.1.    Expanding in their reach by 2000 producers (through greater membership and adding value to independent producer networks) through designing innovative approaches and delivery models for facilitating practice change
1.2.    Define the diverse needs and motivations of Victorian farmers and tailor services in response to these identified segments
1.3.    Equipping R&D providers, government & industry decision makers with intelligence & knowledge that increases their understanding of the Victorian livestock sector’s needs.

Outcome 2: Producer Adoption: 
Producers are measuring, monitoring and managing key profit drivers and risks, and implementing the technologies and management practices required to improve their business performance
Objectives
2.1     Producers are measuring, monitoring and managing key profit drivers and risks, and implementing the technologies and management practices required to improve their business performance
2.2     Producers are accessing best practice technology and management innovations to make appropriate changes within their businesses
2.3     Producers are improving their understanding and responsiveness to market signals, where they exist

Outcome 3: Service Provider Development
Service providers to the red meat industry are motivating and supporting producers to implement the technologies and management practices required to improve their business performance.
Specifically, service providers are:
Objectives
3.1 Improving their own capability (skills and knowledge pertaining to latest R&D outcomes, business performance and livestock production benchmarks)
3.2  Building their capacity to service the Victorian livestock industries
3.3  Better understanding the competencies of the clients and groups that they service and using this to support and motivate their clients through a service offer that is tailored to their needs.

Key findings

The project demonstrated positive results and contribution to project outcomes and objectives. The average recommended rating across all the activities and events was 98.7%. The average satisfaction rating was 8.9 out of 10. The average pre workshop knowledge was 4.6/10 which increased to post knowledge of 7.2/10.

Producer and Service Provider Engagement
Total number of producers engaged     5485
Total number of service providers     1485
Total number of activities delivered     334

Key impacts from the independent impact evaluation included:
-    66% of producers involved have implemented and seen positive changes in their farm business. 
-    63% of producers involved have an increased understanding of production targets and are now managing their farm to achieve them. 
-    58% of producers involved agree they have an increased understanding of the key profit drivers and risk through benchmarking and are now managing their farm to achieve them. 
-    57% of producers involved agree that their understanding of markets to maximise returns has increased.
-    Participating producers noted that the effectiveness of their coordinator to provide support to their local group had increased.

Benefits to industry

Strengthening existing BWBL and BB network, and broadening engagement across the Victorian livestock industry and supply chain  is a legacy of the project that will continue to benefit the industry. Through links and relationships that have been fostered, there is greater collaboration and an increased profile and presence of MLA. Continued Government investment in the networks relies heavily on co-investment from industry. 

The project has brought about more efficient and coordinated services to the livestock industry and increased intelligence used to inform policy and program design on a variety of issues of importance to the industry. Benefits to the Victorian livestock industry include:

-    Improved knowledge and decision-making for existing and new producers.
-    Multiple benefits to producers from practice change.
-    Developed system for tracking producers’ knowledge and skill development and assisting groups to plan programs which will have the greatest impact on producer productivity.
-    Economic benefits to industry.
-    Improved producer well-being.  
-    Improved connections, knowledge sharing and development with private service providers.
-    Greater connections with processors.

MLA action

Defining next steps to continue to engage with the Victorian Beef and Sheep producers and service providers.

Future research

Key recommendations for the Victorian red meat industry are to continue to build on the existing networks and engagement models within Victoria, in collaboration with MLA, using existing and new tools and processes available and continuing investment in innovative delivery methods to meet the changing needs of livestock producers. There is also a continued need for targeted professional development programs for a range of service providers, including group coordinators and facilitators. Main recommendations are:
1.    Continued investment in the BWBL and BB networks to build on the tools and processes available and range of innovative delivery methods that meet the changing needs of beef and sheep producers. In particular:
       -Implement the strategies outlined in the Network Blueprint (Hickey and Trompf, 2025) and piloted in the Innovative Network project to engage the next tier of producers by partnering with livestock agents.
      -Implement Service Provider Professional Development, Training and Performance Monitoring System (Howard, 2024 a, b). 
     -Target services for different market segments, including new red meat producers, part-time farmers and young producers. 
    -Incorporate the newly developed KASA tracker to support knowledge and skill development. 
    -Ensure products, tools and resources are developed into webpages to make them more discoverable for AI generated responses.
   -Consideration of continuation of some hardcopy communications with Victorian livestock producers, such as SheepNotes.
2.    Continued professional development support for broader industry associations. 
3.    Continue to support stronger connections between producers and processors.