Most mixed crop-livestock producers have made the logical decision to increase the proportion of their farms allocated to cropping following more than a decade of economic conditions favouring crop compared to livestock. At the same time, they have adopted an array of new technologies that have diversified their production base and increased productivity. A small proportion of farmers have ceased livestock production and some livestock producers have introduced cropping to their enterprises for the first time.
Economic conditions have now shifted to the extent that if current relativities applied for an extended period, increased livestock production would be anticipated. The market prospects for livestock-based commodities, particularly meat, make this a likely scenario. However, the complementarity between crop and livestock components means that low profit differences between a wide array of strategies buffer against rapid shifts, particularly where fixed investments in infrastructure are in place or required for change.
The economic advantages of increased cropping are also associated with emerging problems, the most notable being the emergence of herbicide resistant weeds. Effective management of this problem is greatly enhanced though the use of a phases of pasture, further emphasizing the complimentary links between crop and livestock production.
The increased need to deal directly with sustainability challenges and advantages associated with perennial-based production systems linked to livestock, are another driver towards evolving production systems that retain both crops and animals.
The integrated crop-livestock production system has been resilient, flexible and responsive to economic fluctuations and technical innovation, but must evolve further to meet the certainty of further change and the challenges of sustainable production.