Grain and Graze North: Dual purpose peanuts for Northern Australia

Project locations: Emerald, Burdekin, Tully, Georgetown, Katherine, Douglas Daly

Project partners: CQUniversity ; Peanut Company of Australia Pty Ltd ; Qld Dept Agriculture and Fisheries ; NT Dept Agriculture and Fisheries ; TRAP Services ; Central Highlands Development Corporation Rockhampton Regional Council ; CH Cotton Growers & Irrigators Ass Inc ; Vanderfield ; AgForce Queensland Farmers Ltd ; Burdekin Bowen Integrated Flood Plain Management Advisory Committee Inc (BBIFMAC)

Project summary and impacts

The Grain and Graze North: Dual-purpose peanuts project assessed newly developed peanut varieties for their suitability in tropical farming systems across northern Australia. Through field trials across multiple agro-ecological zones, the project evaluated the agronomic, economic and livestock feed potential of dual-purpose peanuts that can produce both high-quality forage and nut yields.

Using a farmer-participatory approach, the project connected growers, graziers, researchers, agronomists and industry partners to test varieties, assess profitability and develop practical tools to support adoption. This included the creation of a dual-purpose peanut gross margin calculator to help producers make informed business decisions.

The research demonstrated strong potential for dual-purpose peanuts to diversify grazing and cropping enterprises, improve feed security and reduce production risk through early biomass harvest. It also built industry capability in peanut agronomy, strengthened confidence in peanut production as a viable northern industry, and identified opportunities for expanded supply chains, value-added processing and future investment.