Livestock producers, researchers and industry representatives came together at James Cook University on 1 September for the JCU Veterinary Science Stakeholder Forum, exploring research priorities and opportunities for collaboration across northern Australia’s livestock industries.

TNQ Drought Hub Director Karen George attended to connect with stakeholders and identify opportunities to bring people and projects together across Tropical North Queensland.

Connecting industry needs with research

Northern Australia’s livestock industries face challenges including climate variability, animal health, biosecurity and maintaining productive, sustainable grazing systems.

At the forum, producer priorities included profitability, improving land condition, managing ticks and buffalo flies, and improving herd health. Research discussions also explored practical applications of technology, including smart ear tags and rumen boluses to detect heat stress in livestock, and portable tools to identify phosphorus deficiencies.

Karen said, “These discussions provided an opportunity to identify where existing work could be better connected, to uncover opportunities for future collaboration and build relationships with researchers and industry partners.”

Discussions also identified opportunities to connect researchers working on digital tools with other projects focused on plant identification and poisonous plants.

Through continued engagement in forums and workshops like this, the TNQ Drought Hub can help strengthen regional connections, share knowledge and support research and innovation that responds to the needs of northern Queensland producers and their industries.