October 3rd, 2025New research program at Agriculture Victoria’s Hamilton SmartFarm
The state government is supporting a new research program at Agriculture Victoria’s Hamilton SmartFarm, using next generation technology to help Australian farmers raise healthier, more productive flocks.
Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence announced that the MultiMix forage research program is now underway, to determine which combinations of multispecies pasture mixes work best for Australian sheep producers – research that will support meat sheep production while also cutting methane emissions.
The government is investing $2.4 million to support Agriculture Victoria to officially launch the program, with additional support from Meat & Livestock Australia and the Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre (ZNE-Ag CRC), bringing the total funding to $5.5 million to deliver the three-year program.
The Hamilton SmartFarm ensures our scientists remain at the forefront of agricultural research and can provide Victorian farmers with the skills and knowledge they need to continue to thrive in a changing climate.
This research will deliver important insights into the benefits of using mixed pastures as an alternative to perennial ryegrass, currently the main source of feed for Australian sheep farms. Globally, researchers are exploring diverse pasture mixes by blending different plant species to create more resilient and productive pastures.
Most of the research to date has been conducted in higher rainfall zones, so it’s important to understand how well these pasture mixes will perform under drier Australian conditions.
These mixes can grow deeper roots, require less fertiliser, and may even help reduce enteric methane emissions from sheep and cattle. The goal of MultiMix is to find the right combination of plant types that are both productive even in drier seasons and can reduce methane emissions from grazing livestock.
The pasture trials started a couple a months ago, with 25 hectares of pasture trials already sown at the Hamilton SmartFarm as part of the first stage of the project and is ready for sheep to graze now.
The program is part of the Government’s ongoing work to deliver cutting-edge agricultural research and innovation with industry, farmers and research institutions to test, trial and apply new ideas in Victorian conditions.
For more information, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/about/research/research-smartfarms
