AUSTRALIAN beef producers have shown an appetite for technology but need confidence that investment in new on-farm tools will lead to increased profit.
That's according to CQUniversity precision livestock management specialist Professor Dave Swain, who will provide a keynote address for the Beef Australia 2015 Industry Symposium in Rockhampton on Monday, May 4.
This event will take a whole-of-sector look at key challenges facing the beef sector, from farmgate to retail.
Professor Swain says the dairy industry has shown how daily performance measures can be used to lift production, but it isn't always clear how more refined measures will help or the relevance and value of technology in beef production systems.
"The beef industry has some unique challenges but we are developing technology to enable producers to have more detailed information to help them lift production," he said.
The presentation will consider four of the most important drivers of profit: reproductive efficiency, market access, genetic improvement and labour efficiency.
"It will explore how 'counting and classifying cows' can help an extensive cattle producer optimise these profit drivers by remote automated information on dates of calving, cattle weights, knowing where cows are, and knowing parentage."
Professor Swain will explore how emerging technologies, including location devices, RFID (radio frequency ID) devices, walk over weighing, and proximity loggers are progressing in terms of both practical application and management information.
He will also demonstrate how each technology can be mapped to a specific measure and linked to profit drivers, providing real opportunities to lift profitability.
