Final SGS benchmarking Survey 2001
DRAFT questions - Commercial in Confidence 4 May 2001
1
Did you have 100 or more sheep and/or 30 or more beef cattle at 31 March 2001?
IF NO TO Q1 end of interview
2
In what Local Government Area is your property located?
3
What is the postcode for your property location?
4) At March 31 2001 what was the total grazing area of your property? (ha)
Note : include area under crop at that date
5) Of that area at March 31(Q4). What area was: (Ha)
- under crop or fallow about to be sown
- sown to perennial pasture
- sown to annual pasture
- native pasture
NOTE: Sum of Q5 = Q4
6) Area of crop sown/planted to harvest during 2000/2001? Ha
7) At March 31, 2001 how many sheep were in your flock, including marked lambs (No)?
8) Ask sheep producers:
In broad terms, is your sheep production best described as?
1 Wool
2 Combined wool and lambs
3 Specialist lamb
4 Stud production
5 Other (specify)
9) At March 31, 2001, how many beef cattle were in your herd, including marked calves (No)?
10) Ask beef producers:
In broad terms, is your cattle production best described as ....
1 Commercial beef operation
2 Stud
3 Mixed stud and commercial
4 Store finishing
5 Feedlotting
6 Other (specify
11) For the last financial year (1999/2000), Using the following categories approximately what
percentage of gross farm income was contributed by each of these farm enterprises?
Codes: 1 No contribution
2 > 0 & < 30 %
3 30 % or more
Wool
Lambs
Mutton
Beef cattle
Crops
Other
12) How would you rate the overall quality of the pastures on your property now compared
to five years ago?
1 Poorer
2 About the same
3 Better
13) How would you best describe your grazing management?
1 Set stocking on most of the property
2 Rotational grazing, regularly moving stock
3 No fixed plan, moves are based on prevailing circumstances
14) I will now list some grazing management practices and I want to know whether over the
past five years they were a core part of your management, or you tested them, or did not use the
practice
a) Temporary subdivision to manage livestock grazing area
b) Boxing mobs / herds to assist management
c) Resting pastures to achieve a targeted amount of feed
d) Managing grazing so that 70% or more ground cover is always present
e) Regularly resting pasture to assist pasture persistence
f) Matching pasture quality, with livestock needs
g) Calculating a feed budget
15) Do you feel confident that any new practices you implemented in the last 5 years will make
you more profitable ? Y/N/ No new practices implemented
16) Do you feel confident that any new practices you implemented in the last 5 years will make
you more sustainable ? Y/N/ No new practices implemented
17) Have you heard of SGS or Farmwalk - the Sustainable Grazing Systems program ? Y/N
If N go to 19
18) Have you participated in an SGS regional activity or Farmwalk? Y/N
19) Have you heard of a course called PROGRAZE? Y/N
If N to 19 & Y to 18 go to 21
If N to 19 & N to 18 go to 22
20) Have you participated in a PROGRAZE course? Y/N
If N to 20 & Y to 18 go to 21
If N to 20 & N to 18 go to 22
21) Has your participation in SGS, Farmwalk or PROGRAZE helped you to:
a) manage pastures in a grazing system Y/N
b) manage animals in a grazing system Y/N
c) manage soil, water and nutrients Y/N
d) understand environmental issues in a grazing system Y/N
e) increase sharing of information amongst fellow producers Y/N
22) Do you receive the MLA magazine, Prograzier ? Y/ N
if farmer asks, farmer can call 02 9463 9238 to obtain a copy
Now considering pasture and grazing management,
23) Which best describes your pasture fertiliser practices?
1 Most paddocks every year
2 Some paddocks every year
3 Most paddocks, every couple of years
4 Some paddocks, every couple of years
5 Don’t fertilise
24) For the fertiliser types I name, would you now be using less, about the same, more, or
don’t use compared to five years ago
Phosphate
Nitrogen
Lime
Gypsum
25) Over the past 12 months to what extent have you undertaken the following activities?
Respond with either Never, Sometimes, Often
a) Used a farm management consultant
b) Participated in farm benchmarking programs
c) Weighed livestock
d) Assessed livestock by fat scoring
e) Assessed pastures in kg Dry matter/ha and digestibility
f) Conducted soil tests
g) Sold livestock in the sale yards
h) Sold livestock over the hooks
i) Target specific markets
Now considering land management issues,
26) Are you a member of a Landcare group? Y/N
27) Is soil acidity an issue on your farm ? Y/N
If N go to 29
28) Do you use any of the following practices in managing soil acidity ?
Soil tests to determine soil Ph Y/N
Apply lime Y/N
Sown perennial pastures Y/N
29) Is Dryland salinity an issue on your farm ?Y/N
If N go to 31
30) Do you use any of the following practices in managing dryland salinity ?
Sown perennial pastures Y/N
Plant trees Y/N
Sown salt tolerant pastures Y/N
Fenced off salty areas Y/N
31) Is Soil erosion an issue on your farm? Y/N
If N go to 33
32) Do you use any of the following practices in managing soil erosion ?
Fence off degraded areas Y/N
Create contour banks Y/N
Manage grazing to maintain ground cover /Y/N
Direct drill crops or pastures Y/N
Sown permanent pastures Y/N
Plant wind breaks Y/N
33) Is Water Quality in farm dams and creeks an issue on your farm ? Y/N
If N go to 35
34) Do you use any of the following practices in managing water quality?
Fence off degraded areas Y/N
Fence off river banks Y/N
Water stock mostly by troughs Y/N
Have permanent pastures Y/N
35) Is weed control an issue on your farm ? Y/N
If N go to 37
36) Do you use any of the following practices to manage weeds ?
Grazing Management Y/N
Herbicides Y/N
Sow perennial pastures Y/N
Crop and pasture rotation Y/N
37) For your livestock enterprises, do you know the cost of production in dollars per kilogram
? Y/N
38) Do you:
a) Have a documented breeding objective Y/N
b) Use performance recorded sires Y/N
c) Make business decisions jointly with others who work in the business Y/N
d) Spend more than 7 days on formal farm training activities each year Y/N
e) Have documented financial goals Y/N
f) Have specific production goals for livestock Y/N
39) Rank the following programs as low, medium or high priority areas for Meat and
Livestock Australia (MLA) to focus on, to assist your business.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
Farm enterprise integration
Increasing carcase weight and yield
Improved fertility
Managing disease
Improving quality
Developing markets
Addressing environmental issues
Improving information to producers
DEMOGRAPHICS
40) Into which of the following age groups do you fall?
Less than 20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
over 60
41) What is the highest level of education you have achieved ?
School Certificate or less
HSC
TAFE Certificate course
TAFE Trade course
Tertiary Graduate
Post Graduate
42 ) Are you a member of Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) ? Y/N
if farmer asks, farmer can call 1800 675 717 for information