Livestock & animals

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development supply chain support, research and development and rigorous biosecurity systems underpin the economic success of Western Australia’s livestock industries. In 2011/12, the WA livestock industries contributed 26% of the state’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry production, worth approximately $2 billion at the farm gate.

WA is a world leader in live exports, super fine wool production and dryland sheep and grain systems. Both cattle and sheep systems are focused on export markets to Asia and the Middle East. WA also has innovative, world-class integrated dairy and pork industries meeting local and South East Asian demand for safe, fresh milk and pork. The WA poultry industry is growing strongly as a result of increasing domestic consumption.

Global demand for high-quality, safe animal protein and products produced according to high animal welfare standards will continue to rise in coming years. Increasingly DAFWA will partner with industry -- locally, nationally and internationally -- in transformational business projects to capitalise on this demand.

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Articles

Rangeland regeneration to sequester carbon in Western Australia

13 November 2013

Rangeland regeneration has the potential to sequester large amounts of carbon because of the large areas involved. Pastoral regeneration would also have extensive environmental benefits.
Carbon farming and Western Australian agriculture

10 December 2013

Carbon farming is the agricultural practices or land use to increase carbon stored in the soil and vegetation (sequestration) and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, soil or vegetati
Carbon farming in Western Australia – an introduction

20 February 2014

Carbon farming is the deliberate set of agricultural practices or land uses to increase carbon stored in the soil and vegetation (sequestration) and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestoc
Climate Resilience

23 December 2021

Climate change is a pressing global issue that creates both challenges and opportunities for Western Australia.
Future Sheep - Climate adaptation to ensure a sustainable WA sheep industry

12 April 2022

The project’s purpose is to help protect the profitability of WA sheep production in the face of climate change, increasing climate variability and increasing demand to mitigate greenhouse gas emis
How to calculate the carbon emissions from your own farm business

7 June 2021

Farming systems produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily in the form of methane (mostly caused by animal digestion and respiration) and nitrous oxide (mostly from fertilisers).
Greenhouse Gas Emissions for WA Agriculture

7 June 2021

Each year the Federal Government estimates the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and reports by sector via the National GHG Inventory.
Contaminated farm dams – Western Australia

25 March 2015

Organic material washed into dams can lead to water becoming unattractive to livestock and possibly toxic.
Wind erosion control after fire in Western Australia

12 February 2015

Wind and water erosion risk is increased after fire removes groundcover and some seed reserves.
Sheep reproduction and reducing methane emissions

20 November 2013

Mating ewes earlier (at 8 to 10 months of age) could enable farmers to reduce whole-farm methane production because this practice would reduce the number of adult ewes, which produce more methane.