ALFA Shade Initiative report highlights commitment to cattle welfare, productivity and continual improvement

MEDIA RELEASE

Australian cattle feedlot operators have embraced the welfare and productivity benefits of shade - demonstrating their commitment through significant commercial investment to reach 75.1% of feedlot cattle capacity now being under shade.

This is the key finding of a report - ‘ALFA’s Shade Initiative – Our Journey Towards Having All Feedlot Cattle with Access to Shade’ - released today by the Australian Lot Feeders’ Association (ALFA). The report highlights strong industry-wide progress towards shade adoption since 2020 when the initiative was first launched. 

ALFA’s Shade Initiative seeks to advance animal welfare, production efficiency, and long-term sustainability by encouraging shade and covered housing infrastructure adoption within Australian feedlots.

In releasing the report, Grant Garey, ALFA President, said “Shade access across National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme (NFAS) feedlot constructed capacity has increased from 56.3% in 2020 to 75.1% today - more than 1.32 million cattle in feedlots have access to shade.”

“An additional 518,305 cattle are now housed in shaded pens at any one time when compared with 2020 when ALFA launched the Shade Initiative. Accounting for multiple turns per year, this represents that 2,584,861 cattle have benefited from new shade installations over the past five years.” 

This steady growth is particularly notable given the significant construction and supply chain disruptions experienced during the pandemic period, including material shortages, rising building costs and labour constraints; and the simultaneous expansion of total national feedlot capacity.

“Shade installation is voluntary, yet adoption continues to grow annually, despite rising construction costs. Our journey to date reflects feedlot operators’ commitment to, and confidence in the welfare benefits and productivity gains associated with shade provision,” Mr Garey said.

“Shade enables cattle to express natural behaviour through thermo-regulation, improves comfort, and reduces the risk of heat-related impacts in relevant climates.”

“Australian feedlot operators have embraced these welfare benefits, supporting the industry’s commitment to the Five Domains model and continual improvement in animal welfare,” Mr Garey said.

The initiative has also delivered significant productivity gains.

“The 518,305 cattle provided with shade in 2025 are projected to gain 6,147 tonnes of liveweight or 3,213 tonnes of grain fed carcass weight over the 2025/26 summer, equating to around $28.1m in additional returns to Australian lot feeders.” 

“The cumulative impact of 2,584,861 cattle with access to shade from 2020 has been estimated at an additional return of $67.67m to Australian lot feeders,” Mr Garey said. 

Led by ALFA and supported by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) using grain fed levies matched by Australian Government investment, the initiative has accelerated commercial adoption and investment across a diverse range of feedlot operations and climatic regions. 

“ALFA has supported feedlot operators through a comprehensive extension and communication campaign, reaching over 3,000 feedlot personnel via 57 activities including 4 face-to-face training events, 4 webinars, 42 workshops, 6 major events, 1 in-field bus tour, and more than 500 feedlot visits since 2020,” Mr Garey said.  

MLA, in partnership with ALFA, has invested $3,574,225 in shade research since 2008, with a further $2,471,000 dollars currently invested in ongoing research, aimed at advancing our scientific knowledge of shade benefits for cattle welfare and productivity. 

“Looking ahead, feedlot operators surveyed plan to continue investing in shade and shelter infrastructure, with cattle under shade estimated to rise to approximately 83.5% of total constructed capacity by the end of 2026 and 85% by 2029.” 

“ALFA’s Shade Initiative has been a major undertaking for the Association and the feedlot industry. The growth in shade infrastructure signals our sector’s commitment to welfare, productivity, drive for continuous improvement, and a long-term sustainable future,” Mr Garey concluded.

ENDS.

Media Enquiries:

Grant Garey

ALFA President info@feedlots.com.au

(02) 9290 3700

Niamh Bartley            

ALFA Marketing & Communications

niamh@feedlots.com.au       

0417 610 150