ON FARM NNOORRTTHHERN CATTLEERN CATTLE ack Dry spikes Minimising female sales mealybug Drought‑induced destocking Dry season tools risk has pushed female cattle turn‑off to record levels, Check out these useful online tools Here are some according to MLA’s Industry to guide dry season decision making. recommended practices projections 2019: Australian Feedbase and nutrition to mitigate mealybug cattle – August update. • Maintaining groundcover: and minimise risk Cow and heifer slaughter rates reached mla.com.au/maintaingroundcover of pasture dieback: 58% of total adult cattle slaughter for • Tips for confinement feeding • regularly monitor pastures three consecutive months from March of livestock: and livestock to May, as many producers continue mla.com.au/confinementfeeding • report any suspicious to destock or manage significantly • Other strategies for feeding symptoms to the depleted breeding herds. livestock during drought: Queensland Department MLA Senior Market Analyst Adam mla.com.au/droughtfeeding of Agriculture and Cheetham said total Australian adult • Feed demand calculator: Fisheries cattle slaughter for 2019 is now mla.com.au/feeddemandcalculator • ensure all farm inputs are forecast to increase 3% from 2018 to pest‑free 8.1 million head. Transport • develop and document a • The updated national guide “Elevated female slaughter and poor Is the animal fit to load? includes farm biosecurity plan conditions have combined to drive new content to ensure best • communicate your farm average carcase weights lower so far practice animal welfare when biosecurity requirements this year to 282.5kg/head,” Adam said. preparing, loading and delivering to farm staff and visitors cattle, sheep and goats: “Despite national slaughter being • place biosecurity signs at revised higher, the lower carcase mla.com.au/fittoload the farm entry points weights have underpinned unchanged Business resilience • make wash‑down facilities production levels at an estimated 2.3 • MLA’s EDGEnetwork offers available on‑farm million tonnes carcase weight; 2% practical learning opportunities in • ensure vehicles and below the five‑year average.” business, grazing, breeding and machinery come onto farm The lot feeding sector continues to animal nutrition: mla.com.au/edge only when they are mud‑ support national beef production and Biosecurity and trash‑free has been a critical link in the supply • Considerations when moving • use farm vehicles chain during the prolonged dry period. animals or buying in feed: (not visiting vehicles) The number of cattle on feed reached mla.com.au/farmbiosecurity to transport visitors around a new record in the March 2019 quarter thefarm. ■ and has remained above the 1.1 million For more information, check head mark for the fourth consecutive Adam Cheetham out this mealybug factsheet: quarter. This number is expected to E: acheetham@mla.com.au mla.com.au/mealybug remain high. MLA’s Industry projections 2019: LPA On‑Farm Biosecurity The national herd is estimated to have Australian cattle – August Plan Template: declined 7.3%, to 26 million head for update are available at: mla.com.au/integritytools the year ending June 2019, while mla.com.au/cattle‑projections resources estimated branding rates have also fallen, reducing the number of calves on the ground this season. Will Wilson “On the upside, prices for finished cattle E: will@calliopestation.com have improved this year and are likely Doug McNicholl to find continued support given an E: dmcnicholl@mla. expected tightening of supply during the remainder of theyear.” ■ com.au 33