Learn about the Northern Breeding Business (NB2) program
Benefits to producers
NB2 provides northern beef business owners and managers with a unique opportunity to set directions for their business whilst working alongside other producers to exchange ideas and learn about new research and technologies.
Benefits include:
- A full analysis of your business and feedbase performance, benchmarked against your peers.
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Access to a network of like-minded producers, industry professionals, and the latest research developments.
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Included training workshops to improve business skills and grazing management.
- Funding support for peer-to-peer learning, and learning and development that addresses priorities the group decides.
NB2 focus areas
NB2 is a producer-directed research and adoption program exploring opportunities to improve reproductive rates, decrease mortality, increase turn-off weights and improve genetic potential in northern herds by:
Herd management
Enhance productivity and efficiency by understanding the key drivers of performance.
Feedbase
Optimising feed supply and demand for a resilient, sustainable, and productive feedbase.
Business
Improve the long-term sustainability and viability of beef breeding businesses in northern Australia.
Practice change
Share ideas and experiences with motivated peers to make changes for measurable improvements to productivity and profitability.
How it works
Working in groups of up to 8 producers, with the support of a trained facilitator and producer coordinator, NB2 will support northern beef businesses to:
- Collect standardised beef business records which will be analysed against similar enterprises to establish baselines for herd productivity, feedbase resilience and business profitability.
- Within a peer group discuss areas for improvement, learn from what others are doing, and identify learning and development opportunities to focus on together.
- Identify potential interventions and repeat annual data collection for measurable improvements to business performance.
Producer Groups
As part of NB2, small groups of 5-8 businesses are being established across northern Australia. Any producer who currently operates a beef breeding business in the northern Regional Beef Research Committee regions ( http://www.nabrc.com.au/) is welcome to join a producer group (provided they meet certain criteria).
Each producer group will be supported by a producer coordinator and a trained group facilitator/s.
How to get involved in NB2
Once you have established a group, with a group facilitator, group members should complete a Producer Group Registration Form
(and send to nb2@mla.com.au to secure funding support from MLA.)
- Nominate a producer coordinator to help organise and run meetings.
- After the initial meeting(s), each group starts by collecting data on their beef operation in standardised templates. ( /research-and-development/livestock-production/reproductive-efficiency /producer-group-resources/)
- With the support of your facilitator, groups analyse the data, and: each business will identify their areas of focus and form a customised plan each group will determine the areas they want to upskill in.
- Facilitators work with their group, and with industry experts, to deliver a program that addresses these interests, providing both one-to-one support and group activities. Group activities combine theory, on-property demonstrations, practical learning and discussion. The group will meet regularly to share updates and progress.
MLA is looking for new NB2 group facilitators
MLA is seeking expressions of interest for organisations and individuals interested in facilitating groups within the Northern Breeding Business (NB2) program. NB2 aims to bring together groups of up to 8 producers to measure business, herd and feedbase performance, then share perspectives and ideas to improve enterprise productivity and profitability. The role of group facilitator is key in bringing the group together, providing support for data collection, coordinating training activities, and facilitating constructive discussion within the group.
Expressions of interest should be submitted by email to nb2@mla.com.au.
For more information please contact:
Ainsley Smith
Beef Productivity Project Manager
Email: asmith@mla.com.au
Phone: 0474 199 470
What will i get out of NB2?
Full business analysis
NB2 will provide producers with a full analysis of herd and business key performance indicators, compared against regional and group benchmarks.
Analysis of feedbase performance
Increase understanding of you feedbase use for an efficent, profitable, and environmentally sustainable business. In an Australian first, understand and benchmark feed conversion efficiency for your grazing herd.
Training workshops
Included in NB2 are training workshops that will increase confidence and skills in business and grazing management. The producer-led model will also enable additional opportunities to engage with industry experts and training that address priorities set by the group.
Peer-support
NB2 supports facilitated peer learning. Within your group, you will be able to learn from what’s worked or not for similar businesses, and share new ideas.
How much of my time will be involved?
This will be different for each business. Factors impacting the time involved for each participant include:
- how much a producer wants to get out of the program.
- participant’s current management program and data collection.
- interaction with other group members and the coordinator.
It is expected the group will meet at least 4 times a year over the two-year period. These meetings may be over one or two-days. There will also be time required to complete standardised templates for analysis.
How much will it cost?
The fee to join an NB2 producer group is $2,000/per business (excluding GST) each year over two years. This contribution will go directly back into the group to support activities the producers decide on. These activities might include skill development or training courses, such as EDGE training packages or other workshops, registration for relevant conferences, brining in expert speakers to present to the group, or study tours to see what other top producers are doing.
What data will I need to collect?
Using standardised templates, each business will collect metrics the inform key performance indicators for herd, feedbase and business performance. Training will be provided to use these templates. Data that will need to be collected annually includes:
- Opening and closing herd numbers by class
- Sales, purchasees, brandings and transfers during the year
- Business income and expenses
- Basic paddock data including watered area, land condition, and total standing dry matter.
These metrics will provide key performance indicators that can be compared against regional and group benchmarks. These include:
- Kg Beef produced/Adult Equivalent
- Weaning and herd mortality rates
- Cost of production, and gross profit/kg beef produced
- Feed conversion efficiency, and total Kg of grass produced and consumed.
- Productivity and stocking rate compared to carrying capacity
- Trends in ground cover and land condition
What will happen to the data?
Data collection templates will be submitted directly to a third party for analysis, and data integrity, security, and confidentiality will be maintained in accordance with the NFF Australian Farm Data Code. Only de-identified and aggregated group results will be reported to MLA.
NB2 Indigenous group kicks off
NB2 News
Producer group resources
The following resources are available to all producers across northern Australia.
THE TEMPLATES SHOULD NOT BE USED WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND SUPPORT.
To get involved with the NB2 program, please contact nb2@mla.com.au.
