What land and water resources are used in Australian beef production?
The Northern temperate zone experiences a tropical and subtropical climate, where pasture growth depends upon conservation of soil moisture from variable rainfall. The climate is described as hot, dry summer with cold or warm winters with mostly summer rainfall. Enterprises in this region average approximately 11,255 hectares in size and produce beef for foreign and feedlot markets. In 1999, grazed land in the Northern Temperate Zone included: • 2,315,036 hectares of native pastures • 1,495,090 hectares of sown pastures • 1,070 hectares of lucerne pastures. Beef cattle typically graze sown pastures in this region.
