MEAT & Livestock Australia is calling for new applications for Producer Demonstration Sites to kick off from the end of 2025.

The PDS open call up to May 12 is available to support groups of sheep, beef cattle and goat enterprises that are interested in running local projects to demonstrate on-farm benefits of best management practices, commercially available technology and new research and development findings.

Producer Demonstration Sites aim to increase the rate of adoption of key practices and technologies that improve business profitability, productivity and sustainability through livestock producers pursuing new skills and management practices in their own commercial livestock production systems.

MLA’s project manager for producer demonstration sites, Alana McEwan, said that the PDS open call is an exciting opportunity for producers and the broader industry to be supported in demonstrating research outcomes in their own businesses.

“The MLA PDS open call supports activities that are a practical way of bringing MLA research into the paddock and into practical outcomes for primary producers.

“They allow groups of producers to get a practical first-hand look at the research and test how it could work for them,” Ms McEwan said.

Producer groups that wish to participate in the PDS program can apply for a range of funding options for their proposed PDS ranging from $30,000 to $100,000, per year for the length of the project.

Producer groups are required to engage a facilitator who is experienced in group coordination and extension, monitoring and evaluation of on-farm practice change and communication and reporting.

Applications are welcome from groups of producers, farming system groups, NRM Groups, as well as state departments, consultants, universities, and other service providers in partnership with an engaged group of producers.

To find out more information on what is involved in a PDS project, check out the PDS FAQs

MLA ran a webinar on the PDS open call which can be viewed here: PDS 2025/26 open call for new projects webinar

To stay up to date with the PDS program sign up for the PDS updates eNewsletter