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The Grassland Society of Southern Australia Inc offers a student study bursary valued at $1000 to provide financial assistance to final year students studying agricultural science.
Apply for your Student Bursary today - 2008 applications close 30th April. You must be a current financial member to apply
2007 Student Bursary
2006 Student Bursary
Last year (2006) Fiona Frawley and Sarah Paterson, who were both completing their honours year in Agriculture and commerce at the university of Melbourne, were the successful Recipients.
The effect of low staple strength on farm wool profitability
by Fiona Frawley, 2006 Joyce Gillespie Bursary recipient
This abstract summarises the research Fiona undertook for her Honours year in Agriculture and Commerce at The University of Melbourne last year.Australia produces 98% of the world’s fine wool and quality fine wool attracts price premiums at auction.
Fine wool, however, can be more susceptible to breakage because of low staple strength or ‘tender’ wool. Tender wool receives price discounts that range from 3 to 30%, which greatly impacts on farm wool income.
Producers first need to determine if staple strength is a problem in their wool clip by estimating the income forgone as a result of strength discounts before evaluating management strategies for overcoming tender wool.
This study examined industry and a case-study farm data to determine if poor staple strength is a problem in south western Victoria. These data showed that almost one third of all wool sold had poor staple strengths.
The severity of price discounts for tender wool vary from one year to the next. In years of high wool prices, and therefore high premiums and discounts, staple strength was a key contributor to profitability.
In these years, the profits from wool of sound strength was almost double that from tender wool. However, in years when wool prices and discounts were low, the profit differences from strong and tender wool were marginal, and had little effect on final profits.
Strategies to reduce tender wool however add to the production costs.
It was estimated that to increase the staple strength of the wool of breeding ewes by 5 N/ktex costs $3.29/head. In years of high prices, this cost is outweighed by the increased returns (for example, $8.98/ewe in 2001-02, and $7.09/ewe in 2002-03) but in years of lower wool prices, it decreased profits.
Profitable livestock and cropping combinations on western Victorian farms
by Sarah Paterson, 2006 Joyce Gillespie Bursary recipient
This abstract summarises the research Sarah undertook for her Honours year in Agriculture and Commerce at The University of Melbourne last year.
The relative performances and interactions between different mixes of enterprises on a sheep-cropping case-study farm in western Victoria were analysed. The enterprises included in the study were a Merino stud, a commercial Merino flock, a first-cross prime lamb operation, and a cereal-oilseed cropping enterprise.
The profitability of combinations of these enterprises was examined using the following criteria: gross margin per hectare, operating profit, return on assets, risk, and alignment with the farmer’s goals and objectives.
The risks associated with cropping compared with livestock enterprises, and the ratio of commercial Merino ewes to stud Merino ewes, most strongly influenced the best mix of enterprises for the case-study farm.
For this case-study farm, the following enterprise mix was predicted to provide the best increase in profitability for a level of risk that acceptable to the owner;
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60 percent of land dedicated to cropping,
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20 percent dedicated to the commercial Merino flock,
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five percent to the stud Merino flock and
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15 percent to the prime lamb operation.
This enterprise mix was also deemed to be practical and feasible, and aligned well with the farmer’s goals and objectives.
This study showed that there are many combinations of sheep and cropping enterprises that can lead to successful and profitable farm businesses. Reasons why one mix of enterprises is adopted on one farm, and not on another, strongly relate to the goals and objectives of the farmer, together with the physical and financial resources of the farm.
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