MIDAS

MIDAS (Model of Integrated Dryland Agricultural System) was originally created to represent the economics and biology of farming in the grain and sheep belts of Western Australia (WA Wheatbelt). The MIDAS computer models have now been applied to the dryland agricultural regions of Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.

MIDAS is made up of a series of components for crops, pastures, sheep, stubble, grain feeding, machinery and finance. The models calculate optimal farm practices including rotations, flock structure, stock rating, feed and feeding strategies. The models are also used to indicate which out of a range of possible research or extension options are most likely to yield benefits to farmers.

The MIDAS model works by selecting strategies which maximise farm profit in the medium term (3 to 5 years).

The CRC is using MIDAS models to help determine the optimal use of perennial pastures and best suited extension packages in existing and new MIDAS model regions.

History

The initial MIDAS model developments in the early 1980s were led by David Morrison, Ross Kingwell, David Pannell and Mike Ewing to address the Western Australian Department of Agricultures concern that financial analysis of cropping versus sheep enterprises in certain agricultural areas were biased towards cropping.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, regional versions of MIDAS were developed for the eastern WA wheat-belt, northern WA wheat-belt, WA South Coast and the WA Great Southern. Ross Kingwell also developed the MUDAS model to include weather-year and price uncertainty data.

Download A history of MIDAS and its spin-offs for a more in depth overview on the history and application of MIDAS.

MIDAS Archive

FFI CRC has created an archive of existing MIDAS models and encourages others to access these as part of their research. To gain access these models please contact John Finlayson. Please refer to the Code of Practice form for the terms of use. Once this form has been processed you will be given a password to access the archive.

The MIDAS archive can be accessed from here.

Publications

A list of publications that provide further information about MIDAS modelling and its applications can be found here.

Contact details for registered MIDAS developers/users

A list of registered MIDAS users can be found here. For information about specific publications please contact the relevant MIDAS developer/user.

Further information

For further information about MIDAS Modelling, visit the links provided below:

or email John Finlayson

Acknowledgments

MIDAS would not have been possible without the support and funding from these organisations.

And the contributions made by these people:

Ross Kingwell, David Morrison, David Pannell, Mike Ewing, Amir Abadi, Andrew Bathgate, Felicity Byrne, John Young, David Falconer, Steve Trevenen, Bill Bowden, Geoff Fosbery, Mike O’Connell, Harry Fels, Glen Reithmuller and John Finlayson.