Sep 17

CAED’s fieldtrip through the WA Wheatbelt: find out what the team learned.

A team of researchers from the Centre for Agricultural Economics and Development (CAED) participated in a field trip to the Western Australian wheatbelt in August, 2024. The objective was simple - to get out into the field, speak with farmers, and to keep up to date with the agricultural industries and the current issues for supply chains and adoption of innovative technologies in this region.

The team consisted of 11 researchers, including Professors, early to mid-career research staff and several postgraduate research students. The students and staff are undertaking research in agriculture with a particular interest in supply chain analysis, technology adoption and behavioural economics.

The program

The researchers met with more than 5 grain and livestock farmers, a beef feedlot operator, and the Mingenew-Irwin Group staff.

While the 2-day adventure was primarily to keep our researchers connected and informed, it also served the purpose of consolidating relationships with our stakeholders and appreciating the biodiversity in the region.

The researchers conducted group discussions and field observations. The observations highlighted the region's adaptive approaches to climate variability, technological advancements, and sustainability efforts.

Engagement with local grain farmers

A 2-hour farm tour by Rebecca Kelly focussed on broadacre cropping practices, as well as managing scale and competing land use.
At a casual dinner in Dongara, 5 farmers attended to form a panel where they discussed their farming businesses. For example, how they use historical data, weather forecasts, and soil analysis to make informed decisions about planting and harvesting. A lot of casual interactions took place, which was a fantastic learning environment and networking opportunity for our staff and students.
At Mingenew, we met with the MIG staff and discussed the approaches they use to extend R&D to farmers.

Overall, the researchers came away with some insights and learnings. For example, they learned about how backgrounding cattle can provide value-adding and better marketing opportunities for livestock products while increasing the demand for grain products in the region. They learned that farmers take calculated risks in their farm management, and they seek support from various advisors to help them in their farm decisions.

On the side, the field trip also included a focus on the region’s biodiversity.

Observations included:

Flora and Fauna: The diverse plant and animal species native to the wheatbelt emphasized the importance of maintaining ecological balance in agricultural practices.
Environmental Impact: The impact from farming practices and the measures being taken to mitigate negative effects, such as soil erosion and habitat disruption, were discussed.