Thursday, 27 March 2025
Australia’s political leaders are being urged to secure the place of buffel grass in supporting the future productivity and prosperity of the northern beef industry and reject calls from environmental idealogues for it to be removed.
Buffel grass is an important perennial pasture for Australia’s landscapes and provides significant co-benefits for ecosystems and livestock production.
Cattle Australia (CA) Chief Executive, Dr Chris Parker, said calls from environmental lobbyists to have it listed as a weed ignored the incredible contribution buffel grass has made to the economic viability and sustainability of the Australian beef industry and regional and rural Australia as a whole.
“It is flawed ideology for buffel grass to be considered a weed of national significance when it has positive environmental, social and economic impacts for Australia, and is absolutely vital for Australia’s agricultural and livestock industries. Buffel grass shares no characteristics with actual weeds of national significance,” Dr Parker said.
“Australian beef producers play an essential role in managing our unique environment, last year spending $5.3 billion out of their own pockets in managing invasive plants, pests and diseases.
“They are acutely aware of the risks and costs associated with weed control, and as the land managers at the coalface of this issue, they will tell you buffel grass is an asset not a liability.”
Securing the right to graze buffel grass is one of a suite of issues CA is pursuing in the lead up to the Federal election, including formal recognition and support for the role cattle producers play as sustainable environmental custodians of 50% of Australia’s landmass.
Although native to parts of Africa and India, buffel grass has been a feature of Australia’s arid and tropical savannah landscapes since it was introduced by Afghan cameleers in the 1870s.
Its drought-resistant qualities and highly productive nutritional profile make it ideal for cattle production in Australia’s harsh climate. Its resilience also makes it an effective plant for stabilising eroded soils and suppressing topsoil erosion.
“When compared to the environmental impact of lantana or blackberries, buffel grass should not even be in the same conversation,” Dr Parker said.
“It is essential to the production of millions of kilograms of beef for Australian and international markets. In 2024, Australia exported 1,972,000 tonnes (carcase weight) of beef and the red meat supply chain employed more than 430,000 people, contributing tens of billions of dollars to the national economy, and buffel grass has been critical to that success.
“It is clear there needs to be an urgent reform of the process used to assess the impact of non-native plant species, to ensure plant species of economic and agronomic significance are not targeted, and immediate action should be taken to establish buffel grass as a Primary Production Strategic Asset.”
ENDS
MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Hayley Kennedy
hayley.kennedy@bluehillagency.com.au
0488 021 154
Stacey Wordsworth
stacey.wordsworth@bluehillagency.com.au
0438 394 371