Environment

Making More From SheepThe natural resource base of soil, water and vegetation provide the fundamentals on which the wool industry builds productive, profitable & sustainable businesses as well as prosperous communities.

 

  • Salinity

    Dryland salinity affects some 5.5 m ha across Australia. The Sustainable Grazing on Saline Land sub program of Land Water & Wool has developed products to identify salinised land pasture options & cost effective ways to rehabilitate salinised & waterlogged areas that can improve its productive capacity.

  • Native Vegetation and Biodiversity

    Native vegetation, bushland and pastures contribute significantly to the production of quality wool. Native pastures benefit wool production through providing a relatively reliable nutritional source and supply throughout the year, as well as having a high biodiversity value due to the abundant number of species present.

  • Managing Waterways

    The Rivers & Water Quality sub program of Land Water & Wool provides woolgrowers with practical information on how to manage waterways and gullies on farm.

  • Managing Climate Variability

    Seasonal forecasting of climatic conditions can assist woolgrowers in planning for drought and for determining optimum stocking rate in the coming season. Predicting the impact and severity of climatic variability is one of the key forecasting tools crucial in long-term resource allocation planning.

  • Pest Animals

    Rabbits, foxes & feral dogs, are a significant cause of lost productivity for Australian woolgrowers and affect biodiversity on farms. AWI continues to proactively develop new methods for controlling these pests. Research currently being undertaken will deliver accurate assessments of the current populations and the best means of control into the future.

  • Landleader Monitoring Tool

    AWI and MLA have now closed the Landleader trial phase. Thank you to all those producers who participated in the trials. Your input has been very valuable

Overview

Wool production continues to be one of Australia’s most important agricultural industries, representing 6.3% of the gross value of agricultural production and $2.3 billion in export income in 2003-2004.

The current sheep flock of 107 million occupies some 25% of Australia’s land mass, with approximately 30% of the flock in the high rainfall zone, 55% in the sheep/cereal zone and 15% in the pastoral zone.

The natural resource base of soil, water and vegetation provide the fundamentals on which the wool industry builds significant economic and social benefits for the nation. In addition, the effective control of pests and weeds increases productivity, reduces production costs and delivers benefits to the natural ecosystems. This all greatly assists wool growers demonstrate their sense of pride in their farms and their desire to see their assets passed on to future generations in better condition.

The grazing industries have a unique opportunity to demonstrate that rural landscapes can be managed to effectively support profitable grazing enterprises, the natural environment and rural communities, while meeting the needs of increasingly environmentally aware consumers.

From 2002 to 2006 AWI’s major investment in natural resource management was Land Water & Wool, www.landwaterwool.gov.au. While the Land Water & Wool research component drew to conclusion in 2006, AWI will continue to promote the knowledge and tools developed to woolgrowers and industry via other AWI investments. Other AWI natural resource management investments are drought, rabbits and the development of an environmental assurance system for broadacre producers.

 

 

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