A couple of weeks ago, we packed two dozen graziers onto a bus and headed out across Queensland’s remote Northern Gulf country to Abingdon Downs Station near Georgetown, for our Data for the Future tour.
Over two days, the graziers learnt how to collect and analyse data for their business with industry expert Dr Geoffry Fordyce (GALF) who gave practical advice on how to get started with data, the importance of knowing your business objectives and collecting data that answers your business questions.
Ray and Woody of Cunningham Cattle Co shared how they’ve been using data to increase gross margins, providing a producer’s perspective on how data collection can influence important management decisions.
There was also a live, hands-on demonstration from Gallagher and TruTest representatives on how livestock data can be collected crush side with technology that’s already commonly used in the Northern Gulf region.
On day two, we looked at the next step—transferring data from crush side to the office—and the attending graziers were introduced to several useful tools designed to analyse the data they’d collected the day before. Sam Fryer from Black Box Co talked about being set up for success with consistent data collection, and gave a run down on the opportunities and benefits that data collection can create for grazing businesses.
It was ‘down to business’ then with rural financial counsellor Lynette McGuffie, who guided the graziers as they built their own farm business resilience plans and helped them set goals around data collection and technology adoption.
“It was a great couple of days,” said Keerah Steele, Gulf Savannah NRM’s Rangelands Project Officer. “The participants went home with a clear vision, a plan and tools in place to take their business to the next level using data.”
Over the coming months, we’ll be providing ongoing support for the graziers to keep them motivated in achieving their data collection goals—which will ultimately improve their business and set them up for the future.
This is an AgriFutures Australia funded project.