Can Victoria afford a Beef Industry?

According to various websites
the answer seems to be:

Of course it can, and it should.

One website stated:

"As with any industry, producers require improvements
in productivity to maintain profits and international
competitiveness. Productivity gains can be made via
the use of new technology and better farm management
practices which would increase output or reduce inputs,
or both."

Another website pointed out that:

"There have been growths in organised Land Management
Groups in recent years that address the sustainability
of agricultural land by examining issues such as -
land degradation, water supply, salinity, soil fertility,
and feral animal control on a local basis."

Land Managmeent Groups such as "Landcare," encourage
things like having 1) A farm plan. 2) Training activities.
3) Wide range farming. 4) Adoption of larger proportion
of best farming practices. 5) Providing farmers with
information for each of their problems.

Some of the problems that were listed included
things like:

1) The need for effective management of woody vegetation
to prevent loss of biodiversity and dryland salinity.
2) Effective utilisation of effluent and manure.
3) Protection of land from degradation.
4) Protection of ground water resources.
5) Protection of surface water resources.
6) Land degradation from soil and water erosion due to
overgrazing and clearing of native vegetation.
7) Weed and pest control.

The key to keeping the Beef Industry functioning seems
to be (according to the experts), the use of new technology
and learning better farm management practices.

However, looking at things from a more simplistic
perspective - why not maintain the beef industry in the
North and the West of Australia where the big ranches
are. And, in the South and the East - where the grass
is greener (and the cows appear happier) stick to the
dairy industry. With modern day refrigeration and transport
do we really need to produce beef throughout all areas of
the country?

Quick question for the CSIRO. How much water falls on Victoria and what happens to it. I read its 70% agriculture, 20% industry and 10% Joe Public? However most of OUR rainfall that falls to earth evaporates or runs off but we never hear any detail about this?
CSIRO, farmers pay your wages. Do you want your handsome pay packets and superannuation far and above what any farmer can ever get? If you do want your pensions let the farmers earn them for you, however if its all wrong well we have to start deleting Public Service pensions, OK?

Has anyone recently been in Victoria? From Albury to Melbourne its wall to wall green grass, beautiful green grass covered with sheep and cattle. That green grass came from the atmosphere as the plants removed carbon dioxide from it, and sunshine stimulated photosynthesis. It came about because it has rained in Victoria. All of that grass is getting turned into either beef or mutton, the grain crops will make grain, and the wonderful cycle of birth, death, decay and rebirth that is agriculture is continuing. The green extends through the Riverina about as far as Goulburn, and all of it will be making beef.

It is totally stupid to equate a kilo of beef to a quantity of water. This is the sort of stinkin thinking that emanates from the Greens, who are really Browns, and want to see deserts depopulated and desolate.

One inch of rain on an acre equates to a measureable amount of water. About 95,000 kilo’s of water.

It’s always going to rain sometimes. The challenge we have is to make maximum use of the rain we get, and that is what the CSIRO should be doing. Making us aware of how we can get maximum value out of every drop of water

Vegetarian societies and animal rights groups like PETA came out in force after the Sam Neil Eat Meat ads arguing the same but in reverse.

I wouldn't make too much of it - the CSIRO also bought out a diet book that championed lean meat, vegies, fruits and nuts at the expense of carbohydrates with the expected backlash from cereal companies and nutritioninal 'experts'.

There is always someone pushing their own barrow for ideological or financial reasons. Ultimately we all make our own choices. As Yabby said much of the beef here is grass fed although often finished off for 2-3 months on grains prior to dispatch. Luckily in Australia we have access to purely grass fed meat.

Lets not be sheepish, no bones about it, on meaty issues like this, everyone has their own beef, once you flesh it out in HINDsight, get off your rump and realise the various interest of STEAKholders, there is no need to become sirloin about it. And I am not ribbing.

It’s always going to rain sometimes. The challenge we have is to make maximum use of the rain we get, and that is what the CSIRO should be doing. Making us aware of how we can get maximum value out of every drop of water

Very good point Peter.

Of the 95,000 kilos of water that falls, some is colleted in tanks, some in dams , some to soakage, but the majority is simply washed out to sea, often taking valuable top soils and not so pleaseant toxins with it.

Harvest the 90% or so that is lost, and we are well on the way to solving many problems, even population expansion.

We already collect the water in urban areas, through the use of 'storm water' drains. Why not simply re-direct it into our dams, creeks and rivers. Who knows, we may even save the Darling river.

It's a pitty we can spend so much time and money trying to establish whether life on mars is an option, yet, we can't fix a simple problem,(in relative terms) like water harvesting or, curing cancer.

I think it's time the 'tax payer' is given more input into where our 'tax dollars' are spent and the likes of the 'tax payer funded' CSIRO direct their efforts into 'solving existing problems' as oppossed to 're-inventing the wheel'.

Victoria and Australia can well afford a Beef Industry not withstanding the 17000 litres needed to produce the kilo of beef.

We have seen Melbourne Water "thieving" water from the farmers and parched environment North of the Great Divide and from the Murray River for a few pieces of silver.

They are guaranteeing Melbourne's future while denying the same for bush people north of the Great Divide .

That is bad enough, but the water ,which could go down the productive mouths of dairy and beef cows or emus for that matter ,is going to expand the resource greedy and environmentally rapacious population of people whose damage per head, far outweighs any environmental damage a cow, sheep or steer or a few emus or kangaroos will do .

It is sheer stupidity to increase the population of unsustainable ,uncontrollable People in Victoria with the damage they do, compared to the very minor damage a well managed herd of cows will do managed sustainably, with stocking rates set to increase the biodiversity of the surrounding countr