B.GBP.0056 - NB2: Program Coordinator Northern Breeding Business (NB2)
The Northern Breeding Business (NB2) program aims to improve productivity, profitability and sustainability in up to 250 beef breeding businesses.
| Project start date: | 15 October 2020 |
| Project end date: | 19 July 2023 |
| Publication date: | 30 April 2024 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Grass-fed Cattle |
| Relevant regions: | Northern Australia |
Summary
The Northern Breeding Business (NB2) program was an integrated research and adoption program designed to address calf mortality and poor reproductive performance for the northern beef industry to improve productivity and profitability. The role of the coordinator was to provide support in management, monitoring, operational guidance, and reporting for the NB2 program as it was established. This included assisting the management committee, coordinating activities, liaise with key stakeholders, coordinate and disseminate information about the program, and assist in reviewing and reporting outcomes from associated projects to MLA.
Objectives
The objective of this project were to work with NB2 stakeholders to monitor and coordinate all activities to ensure NB2 progressed in a coordinated, collaborative, and consistent manner.
Key findings
Six peer producer groups were formed as a part of the pilot program. This project also supported the development of templates, training requirements and program, and communications and monitoring and evaluation plans. The consultant also supported the management of several associated research projects.
Benefits to industry
This project supported NB2's targets of delivering a 5% reduction in calf loss, a 1% reduction in herd mortality, and a 10kg/head increase in saleable live weight across 250 businesses by 2027, delivering an estimated $20 million/year in net benefits by that time.
MLA action
MLA is engaging new NB2 producer groups past the pilot phase, coordinated internally as it is scaled.
Future research
MLA continues to prioritise research to increase reproductive efficiency, increase growth rate, and decrease herd mortality in northern Australia with the aim of increasing productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the industry.
More information
| Project manager: | Tony Parker |
| Contact email: | reports@mla.com.au |
| Primary researcher: | Stephen Damian Banney trading as Steve Banney Agribusines |
