AN information-packed program of events has been scheduled for this year’s Red Meat Industry Forum and Meat & Livestock Australia annual general meeting in the Adelaide Hills in November. Beef, lamb and goatmeat producers attending the event in Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills on Thursday, 10 November will be exposed to latest insights into industry… Read more »
Cattle shipments to Indonesia have recommenced for the first time in over a month, after the Girolando Express loaded in Townsville last night and departed for the Indonesian port of Lampung this morning. Another eight vessels are scheduled to load at ports across northern Australia over the weekend and early next week. New permits have been released… Read more »
Latest listings on Jobs Central recruitment page: Station Manager – Kynuna (NAPCo) Outstation Manager-Sturt Creek Station WA (Kidman) Sales & Technical Manager (Shearwell Australia) Wholesale Beef Sales Rep – Young NSW (Hilltop Meats) Manager – Productivity & Profitability (WA Dept of Ag & Food) Division Manager – Feedmilling (Rimfire client) Overseer/Farm Manager-Williamstown SA Livestock Supervisor… Read more »
NEW rules for operating drones came into effect yesterday after the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) reduced the requirements for low-risk commercial operations. People owning a drone weighing less than two kilograms can operate commercially without the need to be licensed, a previous requirement costing individuals thousands of dollars regardless of weight or safety risk…. Read more »
Following a few days of fine weather numbers at Dubbo sale lifted by 1600 for a yarding of 3570 today. It was a good quality yarding with a good selection of prime conditioned cattle in all sections. It’s becoming evident that as we get further into spring the weight of the cattle in the yarding… Read more »
LOSSES forecast in Beef Central’s latest 100-day grainfed trading budget calculated this morning remain at record-equalling levels, suggesting a red-ink figure of $114 on a typical feeder steer going on feed today and exiting the feedyard after 105 days in mid-January. It matches the previous record loss reported in our last breakeven calculation made back… Read more »
Cattle producers who punted on planting oats back in autumn are now wrestling with the happy dilemma of what to do with one of the biggest and best forage crops they have ever grown. Stories abound of producers with oats up to their chests and cattle unable to keep up with the mountains of feed growing in… Read more »
[embedded content] October rainfall is likely to be above average across northern and eastern Australia, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest three monthly seasonal climate outlook statement issued this morning. The strongest chances of above average rainfall are in Victoria, Tasmania and southern NSW. A small area in southern WA shows an increased chance of… Read more »
Distinguished meat industry leader and processor Grant Edmonds passed away this week, aged 71. Grant Edmonds A long-standing National Meat Association and Australian Meat Industry Council member, Mr Edmonds was a great enthusiast of product development, processing and an early-adopter of new technologies. Born in Atherton, Queensland, started working life as a banker for CBA,… Read more »
A break from the rain the last few days, following 90 to 110mm in the local, allowed producers to yard 2500 cattle, compared to 1400 the previous week. The market was very strong right through. Light weaner steers under 200kg made to 470c and heifers 422.2c. Looking to the future towards the middle of October… Read more »
VIRTUALLY since the day it was released, the accuracy of the Federal Government’s Foreign Owned Agricultural Land Register has come into question, with rural industry stakeholders disputing the amount of land actually held by Chinese interests, for example. The report suggested that as at June 30, almost 14 percent of Australia’s farmland was in foreign… Read more »
ONE of the major wins Queensland state farm organisation AgForce has had for members in recent times was negotiating a change in method on how a landholder’s freeholding purchase figure is calculated. Previously if a Queensland landholder was to freehold their Grazing Homestead Perpetual Lease (GHPL) property, the purchase figure was the Unimproved Value of… Read more »
WITH the upsurge in rural property activity over the past year or so, the question has been posed: How many of the successful purchasers have fully maximised the opportunity on their acquisition by undertaking formal tax depreciation assessments, in essence picking up the unspent depreciation from the previous owners? Tim Lane Herron Todd White national… Read more »
FIRST shipments of Brazilian beef have started to arrive in the United States, following recent trade breakthroughs between the two countries, reports overnight suggest. Brazilian re-entry into the US market after a decades-long absence due to FMD concerns has commenced with a shipment of chilled forequarter manufacturing meat from Brazilian processor Marfrig arriving yesterday. Other… Read more »
THE Woodward family’s vertically-integrated Swan Hill Abattoir and Murray Valley Meats businesses are undergoing an identity change. Conscious that words like ‘abattoir’ are less appropriate as an identity in today’s consumer-focussed food world, the business has launched a new name and brand image – now called Woodward Foods Australia. The move aligns nicely with the… Read more »
Cattle store very little magnesium in their body and rely on Magnesium being supplied daily in their feed. If pasture levels are low this can trigger a deficiency. Symptoms include: Sudden deaths. Early signs…facial & ear twitching. Become agitated with sounds or movement eg Handling, birds flying overhead. Staggering as it becomes worse. Lying on… Read more »
Cattle producers are being urged to attend one of four public forums being held in regional centres of Queensland on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. The meetings will be hosted by the chair of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport legislation committee, Queensland LNP Senator Barry O’Sullivan. Also participating will be Australian Meat… Read more »
Yarding 1600 Change 983 There is still a problem moving cattle out of some of the supply areas, however there was a yarding of 1,600 head at this week’s store sale. The yarding consisted of mainly lighter weight yearlings and weaner cattle, along with a fair penning of grown cattle. Quality of the young cattle… Read more »
A larger yarding of just over 1,700 at NVLX Wodonga produced mixed results as spring markets gear up. Trade cattle prices are beginning to dip, which traditionally occurs this time of year. But prices are still well above this time last year. There was a price correction on average of 10c for vealers with prices… Read more »
DEMAND for DNA-tested homozygous poll bulls, record Angus prices in Queensland and elevated top prices peaking at $70,000 made last week’s bull sales exciting but also frustrating, with at least three Queensland fixtures postponed due to local flooding. First the new dates for the postponed events. Queensland Santa Gertrudis sales Dangarfield and Wandoan were scheduled… Read more »
FOR many beef enterprises, bulls are the only new livestock purchases made, and as such, they are one of the biggest biosecurity risks for these enterprises. LBN’s Sarah-Jane Wilson Replacing bulls can be an expensive undertaking without the introduction of additional problems in the form of disease, pests or weeds. Your cows will thank you… Read more »
PREDICTIONS that last week’s Eastern States kill might descend into record territory have proved true enough, with the big impact of heavy rainfall and flooding in some areas dragging numbers back dramatically. The National Livestock Reporting Service logged a seven-day kill for the week ended Friday of just 104,490 head – perhaps unprecedented for a… Read more »
CALL IT coincidence, response to rising farmland prices, or strategic marketing decisions at the high-point in the slaughter cattle market, but it’s extremely rare to see four substantial Australian commercial feedyards on the market at the same time. That’s happening this month, with marketing agency Colliers International listing four substantial commercial yards across three states,… Read more »
The wait continues for new Indonesian import permits almost one month after the final ‘trimester’ of 2016 began on September 1. However there are now strong indications some ships will begin moving from Australia to Indonesia this weekend. It follows an announcement from Indonesia’s trade minister overnight that the country has now formally abandoned its current… Read more »
In a bigger yarding at Wagga of 2895 head yesterday, prices remained buoyant despite less processor demand over some export categories. Agents said the spring cattle rush may be subdued as wet weather continues to restrict the flow of cattle into the selling centre. The best price recorded for trade cattle was 420c/kg for lighter… Read more »
DIESEL fuel prices in regional non-metropolitan areas across Australia have stabilised at an average of around 118c/litre over the past month, ending a gradual decline seen since early June. Prices reported in the latest weekly survey conducted by the Australian Institute of Petroleum have fallen up to 6c/litre in some states since surveys taken in… Read more »
The Stone family presented the Dick Stone perpetual trophy for grand champion grainfed branded beef to AA Co CEO Jason Strong, joined by Stuart Davies from the RAS HONOURS were evenly shared among some of Australia’s best-known grain and grassfed beef supply chains at the 2016 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show’s branded beef competition, decided… Read more »
What does sustainable beef mean to retailers, special interest groups and customers? Their views are now being canvassed to help develop the first-ever Australian Beef Sustainability Framework. For the past three months the steering group responsible for developing the sustainability framework has been consulting extensively with the cattle industry. It is now focusing on consultation with… Read more »
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is working with vertically-integrated beef supply chain Australian Country Choice, and large-scale cattle producer S. Kidman & Co in hosting a workplace health and safety forum for the beef industry in Roma next month. Brindley Park feedlot from the air The forum, being held on 5 October, will focus on… Read more »
The Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority has reported an influx of applications for low-interest loans in recent months to help producers restock or replant. Agriculture Minister Leanne Donaldson said while it was still too early to say the “drought is over”, it was clear many producers are now preparing for life after the long-running drought. QRAA received… Read more »
Elders has announced plans to acquire a 30 percent equity interest in livestock financing company StockCo’s Australian business. The deal is subject to final negotiation of contracts and fulfilment of various conditions, Elders said in an announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange. The balance of Stockco’s Australian business will be held by an entity within… Read more »
These first-calvers with Red Wagyu F1 calves at foot hailing from Dunedoo, NSW made $3000/unit on Friday AuctionsPlus cattle numbers took a big tumble last week due to extensive rain across eastern Australia, impacting on both live assessments by agents and delivery prospects. Listings fell by about half to just 4679 head. Replacement females again featured… Read more »
Jack’s Creek’s Patrick Warmoll and importer Frank Albers display their World Steak Challenge winner’s trophies AUSTRALIA has gone back-to-back to win its second World Steak Challenge branded beef competition in the UK overnight. Last year’s inaugural winners, Jack’s Creek Wagyu from New South Wales, backed-up to win their second consecutive grand championship, clearly defining Australia… Read more »
CHINA has officially lifted a 13-year ban on some US beef imports, imposed after the 2003 detection of BSE in North America. The country’s Ministry of Agriculture released this statement this evening confirming the move. It follows earlier speculation on Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal that a deal might be close. China’s approval over importation… Read more »
Applications are being called for candidates to fill a new skills-based taskforce, which will oversee future national livestock genetics research funding decisions. The National Livestock Genetics Consortium Taskforce will decide in future which cattle and sheep genetics research projects should be recommended for funding by the MLA board. The application process to fill 10 places on… Read more »
THE Indonesian Government has lifted restrictions on imports of certain secondary cuts of beef and offals from Australia. The restrictions were imposed in 2015, as part of Indonesia’s determination to lift try to lift self-sufficiency in its own beef production, following the 2011 live export market closure. The revised regulations came into effect on 16… Read more »
Meat & Livestock Australia has produced this interesting info-graphic this week, pointing to regions of Australia that have suffered most, and least, in terms of drought-driven herd decline over the past two or three years. Illustrated above is the percentage change in each region from where the herd peaked in 2012-13, to where the cattle… Read more »
The future of national livestock genetic research will be shaped at a key meeting being held in Brisbane today. It follows an eleventh-hour decision by the Meat & Livestock Australia board to reject a proposed new structure for a new National Livestock Genetics Consortium, which had been several months in the making. Instead, MLA, is… Read more »
DESPITE a rough couple of years since investing in the Australian beef processing industry in 2014, China’s Hengyang Group is in the Australian beef business for the ‘long-haul’, a Melbourne Show industry audience will be told today. The Tabro Meats business, comprising processing plants at Lance Creek in southern Victoria and Moe in the Gippsland… Read more »
Queensland Police are investigating the crash of a Robinson R22 Beta mustering helicopter, after its pilot allegedly struck a cow whilst herding cattle on a Coen Cattle Station on Sunday. It is believed the rails underneath the helicopter got tangled up in the cow’s horns, causing the chopper to lose balance. Police from Coen were called… Read more »
WITH the current dramatic turnaround in seasonal fortunes across large parts of northern and Eastern Australia, restocking activity is gaining momentum. As producers begin to restock, they are at significant risk of either bringing BVDV (pestivirus) home, or of buying-in naïve animals into an already-infected herd. Meat & Livestock Australia’s conservative estimate of the cost… Read more »
GRASSROOTS producers have directly influenced the selection of new on-farm research, development and adoption projects for the grassfed beef and sheepmeat sectors in 2016/17, worth $9.4 million in levy-payer funds. A total of 18 new on-farm RD&A projects (full list accessible below) have been endorsed to receive Meat & Livestock Australia investment of grassfed beef… Read more »
Tipperary complex from the air. Source: Facebook station photos SYDNEY QC Allan Myers has sold 50 percent of his Tipperary aggregation in the Northern Territory’s Top End to a syndicate of Australian and Hong Kong interests for a reported figure above $49 million. Melbourne lawyer and property developer Jason Yeap, a Malaysian-born Australian citizen, who… Read more »
Today’s 14-day rainfall outlook – scroll to bottom of article The best falls for the past week were recorded across a broad area extending from the Top End across the southern half of the Northern Territory, through western and central Queensland to inland northeast New South Wales. Past seven days: Early in the week, a… Read more »
Yarding 617 Change -3783 The rain fronts that continue to come through have restricted the movement of cattle throughout the supply areas, resulting in a yarding of just 600 head. The small yarding did not attract all the usual buyers, however prices remained strong, with light calves selling to a top of 450c/kg. Weaner steers… Read more »
Heavy rain drenched the supply area over the weekend and this did deter some producers, with numbers falling noticeably. NVLX Wodonga reported an excellent sale of just over 1,200 cattle. Prices generally leapt ahead for some categories and were quoted up to 25c/kg dearer. While prices did improve some cattle were left behind. An example… Read more »
Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are everywhere! There is talk about using drones to do almost everything… from delivering parcels to inspecting assess and infrastructure . What does this technology mean for graziers and how they manage their properties and livestock? In this exciting webinar Josh Keegan (Director and CEO of the World Drone Challenge)… Read more »
AUSTRALIA’S beef cattle industry is in two distinct camps when it comes to the science of objective genetic selection through Breedplan. It would be easy to generalise and say the southern industry uses Breedplan and the northern industry does not. But a growing number of tropical breeds are embracing Breedplan recording, with Brahmans leading the… Read more »
THE recent spring bull sales have seen a considerable number of bos Taurus bulls being purchased for use in beef breeding operations in northern Australia. With many bulls having been bred in more temperate areas, it is timely to reflect on several important recommendations for the successful relocation and adaptation of bos Taurus bulls. These… Read more »
Conditions like this have been common for slaughter cattle transport in the past few months FURTHER wet weather is playing havoc with beef processing operations across eastern Australia this week, with many plants scheduling kills at 50 percent or even less of realistic operating capacity. The weather disruptions have become an underlying feature of beef… Read more »
Bear Trap #1 Assumptions I like the play on words that says if you ‘assume’ it will make an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me’. The big assumptions that I see being made are: Assuming that a profit will be made (both on a trade and in general) Assuming ‘it’ will work It worked last time/previously, so it… Read more »
ABARES has revised up its forecast for cattle prices for the next 12 months. In its latest quarterly commodities report released this morning, ABARES forecasts weighted saleyard cattle prices will average 550c/kg in 2016-17. That is up on the 517c/kg average it predicted for 2016-17 in its previous quarterly report in June. What has changed in… Read more »
AN additional four Brazilian beef processing plants have this week been approved for export of fresh beef to the United States, taking the total number of eligible plants to six. As outlined in this article on Friday, Brazil’s third largest beef processor, Minerva Foods became the first to gain approval for access to the US… Read more »
Widespread rain across the region disrupted supply, causing numbers to drop in a smaller yarding of 2,100 Rain inspired understocked NSW restockers who had the greatest influence over lighter weight categories, lifting rates 7-20c/kg. The better bred lines 330-400kg fetched 378-414c/kg to average $1478. Stronger demand from local restockers kept a solid floor in the… Read more »
2016 ALPA Victorian Young Auctioneers Competition winner Toby Newnham, Elders Swan Hill, left, with second placegetter Jack Hickey, Elders Camperdown. VICTORIA will send an all-red team to the 2017 ALPA National Young Auctioneers Competition after two Elders auctioneers took the major placings in the state contest at Pakenham today. Elders Swan Hill agent Toby Newnham,… Read more »
INNOVATIONS designed to improve workplace safety, efficiency and cattle welfare during road transport loading and unloading operations continue to emerge across the industry. The latest example is an innovative new piece of unloading equipment installed recently at the MC Herd beef and sheep processing plant near Geelong in Victoria. Following an injury where a driver… Read more »
Drone’s perspective of developed buffel country on Bracco, looking south. THE big shift in sentiment being seen in the rural property market was again evident last week when well-developed, Roma district grazing property Bracco sold at auction last Thursday for what may be a district record price. Located in a patch of sweet country 35km… Read more »
Wellard Limited CEO and major shareholder Mauro Balzarini is selling just under half of his shares in the publicly listed livestock exporting company. The sale will finalise outstanding arrangement between between Wellard Ltd and Mr Balzarini’s company WGH Holdings. Under the same agreement the shares will be bought by Wellard Limited’s Chinese Joint Venture Partner the… Read more »
Nominations are now open for two independent positions on the Cattle Council of Australia board. Two years ago the council changed its constitution to introduce a direct membership option for producers, and to create two new independent board positions. Before that change, a producer could only be a member of Cattle Council of Australia by being a member… Read more »
Australian agtech startups will receive help to create connections, build skills and find funding to commercialise their ideas under a new national program launched on Friday. SproutX, an initiative of accountancy and financial advisory firm Findex and the National Farmers’ Federation, was launched on Friday. It includes Australia’s first agtech “pre-accelerator” to unearth and seed startup ideas in… Read more »
NUMBERS listed on AuctionsPlus surged ahead this week despite wet conditions in many areas, with 9272 head offered across four eastern states sales – a 36 percent rise on the previous week. Prices across all stock categories generally rose, with particularly strong competition on cows with calves at foot, and light steers. Clearance rates rose… Read more »
BRAZIL’S third largest beef processor, Minerva has announced that it has gained official authorisation to export fresh beef from two of its processing plants to the United States. Minerva is the first Brazilian processor to announce an export approval since the US opened its market for Brazilian fresh beef in August. The authorisation is one… Read more »
Jason Hatchett left Murgon State High school on his 16th birthday in 1993 to start work as a “floor boy” in the nearby South Burnett Meat Works. In April 2016, PT Elders Indonesia promoted him to Operations Director of their western standard abattoir, beef distribution business and 8,000 head feedlot in Lampung, southern Sumatera. He… Read more »
Twenty-three young primary producers and managers have been awarded Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarships for 2017. The new Scholars will undertake cutting edge research into agriculture and fisheries across the globe, with each receiving a $30,000 bursary for a 16-week program of group and individual travel during 2017. The scholarships were announced during an awards gala… Read more »
Latest listings on Jobs Central recruitment page: Southern Technical Manager (Meat Inspectors Pty Ltd) Administration Officer (Australian Livestock & Property Agents’ Assn) Manager – Grassdale feedlot (Mort & Co) Livestock Overseer (Hassad Australia) Bore Runner/General Maintenance (Watervalley Pty Ltd) Chief Executive Officer (Australian Brahman Breeders’ Association) Station Manager – Pigeon Hole (Heytesbury Cattle Co) Pen… Read more »
Tuesday’s item on Beef Central discussing domestic market beef consumption declines and MLA’s strategy to counter the trend has attracted a number of reader comments. We’ve gone back to MLA managing director Richard Norton seeking a response. Readers can re-visit the original item to see the reader comments, and Mr Norton’s response, added at the… Read more »
Paddock cattle on grain self-feeders in northern NSW – typical of those that could come under a ‘grain assisted’ raising claim THE AusMeat Language and Standards Committee appears to be drawing closer to finalising a set of standard definitions for terms like ‘grassfed’, and ‘grain-assisted’ for use within the industry language. But as is often… Read more »
Industry representative organisations and research and development corporations will soon be given unprecedented access to every levy paying producer in their industry, under new legislation passed by Federal Parliament this week. The changes mean industry representative organisations in each industry, such as Cattle Council of Australia in the grassfed cattle industry, which in recent times… Read more »
Data from satellites and automated weighing equipment is alerting producers to changes in pasture growth and cattle liveweight on extensive northern properties well before they can detect the same trends with their own eyes. The information is helping them to respond sooner and make decisions to enhance production or minimise losses before it is too… Read more »
UK-based further-processor Hilton Food Group says its joint venture with Woolworths in Australia is beginning to pay dividends, contributing to a strong financial performance in its last quarter. The UK-based meat company has gradually moved to expand out of its UK/Northern Europe home territory, into the Asia-Pacific region and other parts of Europe. Three years… Read more »
Heavy rain drenched the supply area over the weekend however; this didn’t deter producers, with numbers lifting significantly. NVLX Wodonga reported a very good sale of just over 1,700 cattle. Prices generally leapt ahead for some categories and were quoted up to 15c/kg dearer. While prices did improve some cattle were left behind. An example… Read more »
SPRING has arrived, and so too has a burst of rural property listings, as evidenced by the pages on Beef Central. Here’s our latest seasonal wrap of property trends in beef across Eastern Australia. Back in our April quarterly review, dry conditions were still putting a serious handbrake on property sales and listings, particularly in… Read more »
THERE’S been an unusual confluence of three meat processing assets being put to market across Australia this month. The three abattoirs, located in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia, all appear in advertisements running on Beef Central this week. But while it might be logical to simply conclude that the current extreme high livestock… Read more »
Hassad’s Kaladbro Station in western Victoria could make more than $20 million. QATAR sovereign wealth fund-backed Hassad Australia plans to sell its 2630ha Kaladbro Station in western Victoria, with expectations the holding could realise more than $20 million. Kaladbro, near Strathdownie, was Hassad’s first purchase in Australia back in 2010. Since then the company, controlled… Read more »
A monthly column written exclusively for Beef Central by Steve Kay, publisher of US Cattle Buyers Weekly WHAT ails the US live (grainfed) cattle market? That’s the question everyone on this side of the Pacific is currently asking. Cash live prices the third week of July put in what was expected to be the low… Read more »
JBS Australia’s Beef City Black beef brand was named Best Branded Beef product at the 2016 Australian Food Awards, conducted by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria in Melbourne late last week. The overall Best Branded Beef award was announced after Beef City Black was named Best in Class and awarded a gold medal in… Read more »
Indonesia intends to import more cattle from Australia next year as it looks to rein in rising beef prices, the country’s economic ministry said this week. The ministry said in a statement it plans to issue permits to import 700,000 cattle for slaughter in 2017, as well as ramping up buffalo meat imports from India…. Read more »
Internationally-renowned beef cattle endocrinologist Dr Jim Kinder will call CQUniversity Rockhampton North’s CQIRP facility home for the next 12 months, boosting the expertise of the livestock research team. Professor Kinder hails from the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute and has joined CQUniversity’s Precision Livestock Management team… Read more »
Today’s 14-day rainfall outlook – scroll to bottom of article Western Victoria and Southern NSW received the highest totals in another week of widespread rain for Southern Australia. Past seven days: A pair of cold fronts tracked across southwest Western Australia and the Great Australian Bight, bringing mostly light falls to the South West Land… Read more »
Annual sale day at Palgrove Charolais WHILE Breedplan is a compelling science used by many to produce better seedstock, there is a clear divide evident in uptake between breeds in northern and southern parts of the continent. Breedplan adoption is much more widespread in the British and European seedstock herds that predominate in southern Australia,… Read more »
LOW reproductive rates in northern Australian beef herds are recognised as a significant limiting factor to enterprise productivity. Many factors influence reproductive rates, in particular environmental and management factors. Better management of these animal environment influences play an integral part in increasing productivity, however having new and increasingly more accurate methods of genetic selection will… Read more »
MANY beef cattle seedstock producers do not have a strong understanding about the benefits available from embryo transfer, or what’s involved in implementing an ET program. For this reason animal health and reproduction company, Vetoquinol has developed an easy-to-read booklet that steps-through the benefits of ET in a beef herd and some basic procedures that… Read more »
THE combination of high cattle prices and drastically short supply is again being reflected in domestic consumption patterns for beef. Meat & Livestock Australia will later today release its Beef Industry Fast Facts for 2016, containing key statistics on the industry. The document includes latest domestic consumption figures compiled by ABS, which suggest that beef… Read more »
Ongoing, widespread and persistent rainfall is all that’s standing in the way of a price correction in slaughter cattle across eastern Australia, industry feedback this week suggests. The succession of wet weeks since July across many areas has heightened logistical problems in getting cattle out of the paddock and onto roads for slaughter, and that… Read more »
There seems little chance that parties seeking compensation for the impact of the Federal Government’s June 2011 suspension of live cattle exports to Indonesia will see a result anytime soon. A class action was launched against the Federal Government almost two years ago with backing from the Australian Farmers Fighting Fund. Lawyers representing the affected parties… Read more »
A ground-breaking study is underway to help tackle the lotfeeding sector’s single biggest health challenge, Bovine Respiratory Disease. A long-term study has been launched to determine the effect of backgrounding vaccination regimes on feedlot performance and health. Backgrounding is the growing program for feeder cattle prior to feedlot entry. It traditionally involves grazing of cattle… Read more »
Prices generally stayed firm for secondary cattle despite the market facing a shortage. Heavy rain last week deterred producers and hampered the movement of stock in a similar size yarding of 2,200. It must be noted it was the smallest penning of cows recorded with only 157 yarded. Price results on Monday showed well finished… Read more »
Data collection on the Barkly Tableland … the CashCow project demonstrated the potential of electronic monitoring, Mike McGowan says. New University of Queensland research is aiming to build on the findings from the important MLA-funded CashCow project by looking at reducing foetal and calf losses in beef cattle breeding herds across northern Australia. UQ school… Read more »
The squeeze on live exporter profitability has claimed a high profile casualty with Elders announcing its decision to depart the trade today. Cattle and sheep exports have been an integral part of Elders’ business for many years. Elders’ was among the pioneers of the Australian livestock export trade, and its short-haul business, Northern Australia Cattle Company, which ships… Read more »
Despite the reported focus on herd rebuilding, large numbers of heifers are still flowing into feedlots destined for meat processing, instead of into paddocks for joining this spring. Quality heifers like these MSA-eligible maidens, continue to find their way into slaughter markets, despite the desperate shortage of breeder replacements Lotfeeders are outgunning restockers in the market… Read more »
The French team prepares for battle before Saturday’s event FIRST-TIME entrants, Team France Boucherie took out the 2016 World Butchers Challenge held on the Gold Coast yesterday, defeating nationally-selected teams of six butchers from Australia, the United Kingdom and three-times previous champions, New Zealand. The unique event, being held for the sixth time, pitted 24… Read more »
SATURDAY’S World Butcher’s Challenge involving teams from the UK, New Zealand, France and Australia (click here to access separate competition report) provided a unique glimpse into meat retailing value-adding trends taking place across the globe. Each country put their own interpretation and skills-set into the raw material they had at their disposal, to create a… Read more »
Part of a line of 460 209kg Angus backgrounder heifers from Goondwindi offered in four lots, which averaged 447c/kg or $933 a head on Friday. THE promise of a memorable spring/early summer grass growing season across large parts of eastern Australia saw clearance rates and prices remain strong on the AuctionsPlus national online marketing platform… Read more »
JACK Burton and partners’ new Kimberley Meat Co beef abattoir is officially opened today, representing only the second new meat processing plant to be established in northern Australia in the past 50 years. Along with AA Co’s Livingstone plant near Darwin, the new facility, located between Broome and Derby in Western Australia’s remote northeast, blazes… Read more »
TFI COO David McKay at the World Merino Insight conference. INVESTMENT in vertical integration has enabled South-Australian-based meat processor Thomas Foods International to get closer to its Australian and overseas consumers. TFI chief operating officer Mr McKay told World Merino Insight conference delegates in Adelaide this week, a healthy focus on vertical integration had led… Read more »
Latest listings on Jobs Central recruitment page: Chief Executive Officer (Australian Brahman Breeders’ Association) Station Manager – Pigeon Hole (Heytesbury Cattle Co) Pen Rider – Condamine Feedlot (Teys Australia) Boning Room Supervisor – Export Beef Plant (Greenmountain Meat) Livestock Administration Clerk (Lillyvale Feedlot) Export Feedlot Manager – WA (Ausvision Rural Services) Feedlot Crew (Rangers Valley… Read more »
Duane Woodham DIVERSIFIED agribusiness Ruralco has appointed former JBS senior livestock manager Duane Woodham as its new northern region divisional manager for rural agency operations. Mr Woodham, who was northern region livestock manager for JBS for the past four years, and who served earlier as a senior cattle buyer, left the company abruptly in August…. Read more »
Indonesia: Slaughter Steers AUD $4.23 / kg live weight (Rp10,050 = $1AUD) Live steer prices remain unchanged at Rp42,000 to Rp43,000 per kg live weight so I will use Rp42,500 again for the monthly published price. Importers report that they dare not increase their prices for fear that the government will punish them. The T3… Read more »
Should accredited non-veterinarians be allowed to pregnancy test cattle for export purposes, not just veterinarians? The Australian Standard for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) requires that unspayed female cattle must be pregnancy tested within 30 days of cattle being exported. Pregnancy tests can for feeder and slaughter cattle to be exported by sea can only… Read more »
IN a surprise move, the Australian Lot Feeders Association has appointed a new chief executive officer, just eight months after the position was filled previously. Christian Mulders Experienced red meat program manager and administrator Christian Mulders leaves the Australian Meat Industry Council to take up the position. He succeeds Polly Bennett as ALFA’s chief executive…. Read more »
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