EverGraze – increasing livestock productivity and environmental sustainability through perennial pastures

Impact summary

The EverGraze project addressed the need for producers to increase use of perennial pastures to minimise dryland salinity whilst improving farm profits. As a national research, development and extension program it involved Charles Sturt University and three state agencies that designed high rainfall zone farming systems based on perennials to increase livestock profitability and reduce water leakage below the root zone. 1,950 farmers attributed improvements to EverGraze, impacting 817,000 ha and returning $306m. Improvements included establishing new pastures, grazing, fertiliser or sheep management, shelter for lamb survival, and ‘flushing’ to increase lambs born. 550 rural advisers used EverGraze resources.

A significant impact of this research occurred at the farm level. Farmers who changed practice as recommended by the EverGraze project achieved significantly improved economic and environmental outcomes. There was also an increase in the understanding of farming systems (as opposed to components) of both livestock researchers and those providing advice to farmers. This increase in capability affects the likelihood of recommended practices being effectively communicated and therefore adopted, so is important in achieving improvement in the industry.

Impact date	2004
Category of impact	Economic Impact, Environmental Impact
Impact level	Benefit