CPC Beef Herd Project

CPC Beef Herd Project is a beef cattle herd management project located across a vast aggregation of pastoral stations spanning the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia. Registered in June 2018, the project operates on a massive scale, covering Consolidated Pastoral Company's (CPC) portfolio, which includes iconic properties such as Newcastle Waters in the Northern Territory (approximately 400km south of Katherine) and Wrotham Park in Queensland (west of Cairns). The project area encompasses millions of hectares of diverse grazing land, utilizing the specific "herd aggregation" approach allowed under the methodology.

The Beef Cattle Herd Management methodology awards carbon credits for reducing the emissions intensity of beef production. By implementing efficiency measures, such as improving herd genetics, increasing weaning rates, and supplementing diet, the project aims to produce the same amount of beef with fewer methane emissions. Specifically, this project focuses on increasing the ratio of weight to age in the herd and removing unproductive animals, ensuring that cattle reach market weight faster and spend less time generating methane on the paddock.

The environmental conditions across the project area are typical of Northern Australia's rangelands, characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons. The region ranges from the semi-arid black soil plains of the Barkly Tableland, which support Mitchell grass grazing, to the higher rainfall tropical savannahs and riverine flats of the Cape York Peninsula and East Kimberley. These landscapes are subject to extreme heat and variable monsoonal rainfall, requiring resilient cattle breeds like Brahman and composite herds.

An interesting aspect of this project is its proponent, Consolidated Pastoral Company, which is one of Australia's largest private landholders with a carrying capacity of roughly 300,000 head of cattle. The project is managed in partnership with South Pole Australia, a well-known international climate consultancy. The project effectively turns standard agricultural efficiency improvements, which are profitable for the farmer, into a source of carbon revenue.