Highly Commended

Category: Agriculture

Specialisation: Livestock

I would like to expand my knowledge in the livestock industry. This scholarship would help give me a wider experience and more knowledge with livestock to bring back to the family farm and help implement change or improvements to the livestock industry in Australia. I would like to learn how other people/countries are combating the rising concern with animal welfare. There are multiple issues rising about many practices currently used with livestock. Developing ideas on how to overcome these issues and implement new practices to minimise welfare issues with livestock would be beneficial for my future livestock career.

I would like to travel to New Zealand. New Zealand has an extensive sheep industry that would give me the opportunity to learn how to better manage livestock back in Australia. New Zealand has already banned mulesing (an animal health practice). They are currently in the process of combating not being able to use mulesing in their day to day livestock production systems. Mulesing in Australia is currently still allowed however, with increased concerns of animal welfare I predict it will be banned within the next 10 years. This will become a large issue among Australian merino and sheep producers and will have to be overcome. I believe going to New Zealand could give me an insight into how they are producing sheep without mulesing. This knowledge could be greatly beneficial to bring back to Australia and the family farm which runs merino sheep.

My future goals are based around the livestock industry and further agricultural industry. I am off a family farm located near Skipton in the south west of Victoria. My medium-term professional goals are to increase my skill base around livestock and cropping production. I have more interest in livestock production and would like to develop more skills in this area. To do this I would like to work for producers who are innovative and forward in the industry. I would like to do this over the next 2 – 3 years. My long-term goal is to return to the family property and intensify the livestock system currently in place. I can already see many areas that could be changed to increase profitability within the business. I would like to take over the family business and develop a production system to more efficiently use the cropping enterprise and sheep production together to create a more profitable business.

Within the local community in Skipton I was involved with the local sporting clubs however have ventured away from them as a I have been living and working in different areas of Australia. I am still currently a member of the Skipton CFA and actively respond to fires and call outs in the district when I am available. The CFA is an important organisation around agriculture because there will be one point in your life when you will require the help of other members on your own property. I believe that being a member of the CFA is a valuable contribution to the community and other farmers.

“Patrick is showing commitment to overcoming one of Australia’s most pressing animal welfare and social licensing issues. We applaud him for his courage to start difficult conversations to build a more sustainable future for agriculture.” – BBM Industry Panel.