Overview:

Stocking rate is a key profit driver. Learn if your farm sits under or over stocked and what the economic impact is.

Price: $700

Re-run price: $50

Details:

The selection of an appropriate stocking rate is primarily contingent on the profitability of the livestock enterprise. This profitability, in turn, hinges upon various factors, including wool and meat prices, feed expenses, and managerial practices (such as crop area and flock structure) and skills.

Optimal stocking rate is impacted by the allocation of crop across the farm for two main reasons. Firstly, it pertains to the availability of feed provided by the crop enterprise. Green crops can be effectively utilised for early-season grazing, allowing pastures to be deferred and crop residues provide a cheap feed source during the summer period, proving particularly beneficial for backgrounding and lamb finishing. Secondly, there are labour and machinery synergies between the cropping and livestock enterprises. For example, in scenarios where a substantial portion of the farm is dedicated to pasture and the stock enterprise fully utilises available labour, each additional sheep necessitates the recruitment of extra labour, incurring associated costs that diminish the incentive for a high stocking rate. Conversely, in situations with larger crop areas, where surplus labour is available during less labour-intensive cropping phases, the livestock enterprise can leverage this labour more cost-effectively. As a result, the inclusion of additional sheep carries a reduced labour cost burden, thus intensifying the incentive for a higher stocking rate.

In essence, determining the optimal stocking rate is a whole farm decision. In the subsequent analysis, this decision is scrutinized within the framework of the entire system. To facilitate the selection of the most appropriate stocking rate for your farm system, tailored profit pasture percentage curves for low, medium, and high stocking rate scenarios are generated.

Overview:

The optimum proportion of the farm to crop varies with commodity prices. Know where your farm sits relative to the current and predicted prices.

Price: $750

Re-run price: $50

Details:

One of the pivotal determinants influencing pasture allocation is the relative profitability between the stock and cropping enterprises. This decision is contingent on a complex interplay of factors, including the topographical features of paddocks, soil composition, prevailing weather conditions, commodity price dynamics, and the managerial competencies and practices of the farming operation, including the crucial aspect of stocking rates.

However, arriving at the optimal pasture area is a multifaceted undertaking that transcends the simple identification of the most profitable enterprise for each paddock. This complexity arises from various considerations, such as the ability to supplementary feed to reduce the need for pasture, constraints imposed by labour and machinery resources, and the synergy between the cropping and livestock enterprises. This synergy encompasses elements such as rotation effects (e.g., pest control), crop grazing, stubble utilisation, as well as the efficiency gains achieved through labour and machinery coordination.

The results provided from this analysis comprehensively account for all these factors to provide tailored and informed guidance for decision-makers. Some of the results from this analysis include tailored pasture percentage curves for your system, spanning three distinct price levels and supplementary expectations at different pasture areas.

Overview:

Determine if legumes are profitable for your system and the optimal area to establish for various production and price outlooks. 

Price: $800

Re-run price: $50

Details:

Key questions addressed in this analysis:

1. What area of legumes should I include in my rotations?
2. What production or price required to make legumes profitable?

These decisions are contingent on a complex interplay of factors, including paddock soil composition, rotational synergies, commodity price dynamics, and the managerial competencies and agronomical practices of the farming operation. Accordingly, deriving the optimal legume area is a multifaceted undertaking that transcends the simple identification of a paddock gross margin.

The analysis will comprehensively account for all these factors to provide tailored and informed guidance for decision-makers. To facilitate this process, sensitivity analysis on price and legume yield will be included.