Critical success factors of a whole of business extension approach for increased capacity of beef producers and improved enterprise profit and sustainability

The 'Research to Reality Project' assisted beef producers in the Burdekin catchment of north Queensland to develop practical responses to a range of production and grazing land management challenges. The project involved three groups of beef producers encompassing 19 enterprises, 680000ha of land and the management of 162000 cattle. The project was founded on a continuous improvement and innovation approach, and included an employed industry champion and multi-disciplinary project team who used a range of extension methods to identify, develop and implement on-property projects. Extension methods included one-on-one property planning activities, economic benchmarking, land condition assessments, on-property demonstrations, structured learning workshops and information products. The value of project evaluation to producers and the project staff is discussed. Further, the link between increased profitability and better land management was established for many producers. This learning is reflected in the uptake of recommended grazing practices and the decisions producer participants are now making about their grazing business.