The Weekly Grill podcast host Kerry Lonergan spent time at the Northern R&D conference in Brisbane this week, including this discussion with keynote speaker David Foote. Mr Foote said one of the industry’s biggest R&D opportunities lies not in new scientific breakthroughs, but applying the knowledge that already exists.

“The industry doesn’t suffer from a lack of knowledge. It suffers from a lack of scale in applying it,” he said.

Mr Foote said northern research over many years had identified clear management principles that consistently improve performance in commercial beef enterprises.

One key message was that “profit follows pasture, and pasture condition.”

Among other topics, the pair discuss the opportunities and challenges facing northern Australian beef production - including the scale benefits of the north, and barriers to adopting proven research and management practices.

The episode also covers emerging technologies (remote sensing, Starlink, walk-over weighing), infrastructure and labour issues, market positioning for exports, and urgent biosecurity concerns such as lumpy skin disease and surveillance needs.

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S6 Ep6: Cattle industry leader David Foote: Are we spending our R&D dollars wisely?