Northern producers set the agenda for future beef industry RD&A investment

The North Australia Beef Research Council (NABRC) has released its 2026–2028 Producer Identified Research, Development and Adoption (RD&A) Priorities.

Developed through NABRC’s network of 11 Regional Beef Research Committees (RBRCs), the priorities capture the most pressing issues identified by producers across Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia.

NABRC Chair Paul Burke said the priorities reflected the real world challenges facing northern beef businesses and the growing need for practical, commercially relevant innovation.

“These priorities come directly from producers operating in some of the most challenging and diverse grazing environments in the world,” Mr Burke said.

“The message from industry is clear that producers want practical research that improves productivity, animal wellbeing, labour efficiency and long-term business resilience.”

Among the highest ranked priorities was the development of longer-acting buffalo fly, tick and parasite control technologies, including integrated biological and non-chemical approaches that reduce chemical resistance and lower treatment frequency.

Mr Burke said northern producers were increasingly concerned about the rising cost, declining effectiveness and labour burden associated with existing pest-control methods. 

“Buffalo fly and tick management continues to be one of the major productivity and animal wellbeing challenges across northern Australia,” he said.

“Producers are telling us they need control methods that are longer lasting, more affordable and practical for extensive grazing systems, while also reducing the risk of chemical resistance.”

The priorities also highlighted growing concern around the rising cost and supply security of critical livestock supplements, particularly urea and phosphorous. NABRC identified the development of alternative and synthetic sources of these inputs as a key RD&A priority for northern Australia.

Mr Burke said recent global instability had highlighted the vulnerability of Australian producers to international supply chain disruptions and input price shocks.

“Northern beef producers are heavily exposed to fluctuations in global fertiliser and supplement markets,” he said.

“Events such as conflict in the Middle East, freight disruptions and international supply pressures have had direct impacts on the cost and availability of essential inputs like urea and phosphorous.”

“For many northern producers, supplementation is not optional - it is fundamental to maintaining breeder performance, reproduction and productivity. Improving supply security and reducing costs through local or alternative production methods could have major long-term benefits for the industry.”

The priorities document also identifies major opportunities in:

• real-time crush-side disease and pregnancy diagnostics

• calf loss reduction

• natural capital and carbon accounting tools

• genetic selection technologies

• improved pain relief methods

• woody vegetation management

• decision-support tools for land condition and pasture management.

Mr Burke said the release of the priorities came at an important time nationally, following the Federal Government’s recent Strategic Examination of Research and Development, which called for stronger national coordination, clearer priority setting and deeper industry collaboration across Australia’s RD&I system.

 “One of the strongest themes coming out of the national R&D review was the importance of genuine industry consultation and clearly defined priorities,” Mr Burke said.

“That is exactly what NABRC and it’s RBRC network have been delivering for decades - a genuine grassroots process where beef producers directly shape the RD&A agenda.”

“The northern beef industry has built a model that connects producers, researchers, government and industry around practical priorities, and we believe NABRC sets the benchmark nationally for industry-led priority setting.”

Mr Burke said the publication of the priorities was intended to help guide future investment and collaboration between producers, research organisations, funding bodies and governments.

“These priorities are designed to challenge researchers, funding organisations and industry stakeholders to focus investment on the issues producers believe will deliver the greatest impact on the ground,” he said.

The full 2026–2028 Producer Identified RD&A Priorities documentation is available via the NABRC website: www.nabrc.com.au/priorities