Month: April 2019

With the bulk of Eastern Australia’s autumn bull selling season now drawing to a close, there are many bull breeders closely examining the results and trends to emerge, writes genetics editor Alastair Rayner. ..Read More Source: Beef Central Weekly genetics review: Trends from a tough autumn bull sale season

As the Federal election countdown continues, the Labor Party today launched a six-point plan covering animal welfare, pledging to “reinstate national leadership in animal welfare matters and dedicating resources to a new national framework.”..Read More Source: Beef Central Labor issues six-point plan for animal welfare

A topic of conversation around processing circles this week has been the impact that current heavy reliance on grain-finishing systems because of drought is likely to have on slaughter cattle supply later in the year…Read More Source: Beef Central Weekly kill: Feedlot reliance hastens shortage of slaughter cattle later in the year

Large runs of quality young cattle were yarded and a larger panel of buyers was present, however not all were operating…Read More Source: Beef Central Roma store sale 30 Apr 2019: Prices mostly up after SW Qld rain

In a possible foreshadowing of broader red meat industry reform to come, two key live export industry bodies are preparing to merge into one…Read More Source: Beef Central ALEC and LiveCorp court merger

Australia’s rate of beef cattle slaughter are expected to slow in the second half of 2019, as a result of the ongoing drought in many production areas coupled with flooding in northwest Queensland in February, which has resulted in the largest drop in the national herd in decades…Read More Source: Beef Central Beef herd… Read more »

There are some simple checks producers can make to avoid exposing livestock to alternative feeds containing unacceptable and harmful levels of chemical residues, or feeds which could contain restricted animal material, Agriculture Victoria Animal Industries Development Officer Richard Smith says…Read More Source: Beef Central Three simple checks to avoid drought feed risk

Restockers and feedlot demand on the back of expectant rain had the greatest influence over the market…Read More Source: Beef Central Wagga sale 29 April 2019: Restockers, lot feeders active

It is becoming very evident the continued dry is now entering uncharted territory for many farmers in SA, Victoria and NSW, Chris Howie writes in his latest monthly wrap on southern market trends and opportunities…Read More Source: Beef Central Chris Howie’s southern market wrap – April 2019

More than 80 university students and young agricultural professionals have embraced the latest science and industry on-farm practices to improve beef eating experiences for consumers at the inaugural Intercollegiate Meat Judging Northern Conference held in Rockhampton late last week…Read More Source: Beef Central Intercollegiate Meat Judging arrives in Central QLD

New global research by food giant Cargill has found strong consumer understanding that animal protein can be part of an environmentally responsible regimen and can play an important role in a healthy diet…Read More Source: Beef Central Global survey shows strong support for meat

People going onto a farming operation must now comply with the property’s biosecurity management plan when they enter or leave, and while they are on the property, under added protections activated by the Queensland Government following a spate of unauthorised farm entries by animal activists…Read More Source: Beef Central Qld ups biosecurity fines for… Read more »

Chinese and United States interests are the largest foreign owners of water entitlements in Australia, an Australian Taxation Office report released this month shows…Read More Source: Beef Central US, Chinese largest foreign owners of water in Australia, report reveals

Heifer prices mostly trended down on AuctionsPlus this week, while lighter steer weight categories were higher – headlined by weaned steers, which averaged up 45c/kg on last week…Read More Source: Beef Central Heifer prices soften in smaller AuctionsPlus offering

A strong appetite for red meat industry structural reform has been highlighted in submissions published this week in response to the Red Meat Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Review Green Paper…Read More Source: Beef Central Submissions show appetite for red meat sector reform

Respected cattle geneticist Professor Ben Hayes has been appointed as the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation’s new Centre Director for Animal Science…Read More Source: Beef Central Geneticist appointed to QAAFI animal science directorship

Higher carbon emissions, greater erosion, less sustainable agriculture and the creation of vast ‘mulga deserts’ throughout central Australia will be the inevitable result of Federal Labor’s introduction of Queensland-style vegetation management legislation nationally…Read More Source: Beef Central Labor tree law recipe for disaster: AgForce

Is there a relationship between rainfall and different regional Queensland property market values? Valuer Will McLay certainly thinks so, and has come up with a novel approach to observe the relativity between rainfall and property markets across the state…Read More Source: Beef Central Weekly property review: Is there relativity between rainfall and property prices?

Many direct consignment slaughter grids in southern states have risen 15-20c/kg in the past week, as available numbers start to decline heading into winter. Meanwhile in Queensland, grids remain mostly unchanged this week, as processor demand is diminished by successive holiday-shortened working weeks…Read More Source: Beef Central Weekly kill: Easter handbrake dramatically slows beef… Read more »

Consolidated Pastoral Co has continued on its recent property asset sell-down path, announcing the sale today of its highly-regarded Central QLD buffel grass finishing/growing property Comely Station to NT pastoral identity Sterling Buntine for almost $50m…Read More Source: Beef Central CPC property sell-down continues, with m Comely Station deal

The Australian Meat Industry Council has raised concerns for regional employers and communities following the pledge given by opposition leader Bill Shorten yesterday to increase the pay of overseas workers by $11,000 annually…Read More Source: Beef Central Processors condemn Shorten’s election pledge to lift foreign workers’ pay

Many graziers and mixed farmers in central and northern NSW have destocked in the continuing dry conditions, and are not prepared to buy grain, as they did last year, at a premium to the volume market…Read More Source: Beef Central Feedgrain Focus: Grazier demand wanes as prices flatten

Primary producers in Queensland can now claim up to 25 percent of the cost of a private contractor to desilt a dam on their drought-declared property…Read More Source: Beef Central Dam desilting rebate now available in Qld

Primary producers directly affected during Severe Tropical Cyclone Trevor in North and Central West Queensland can apply for Disaster Assistance Loans of up to $250,000. ..Read More Source: Beef Central 0k loans for Cyclone Trevor affected producers

Good quality light weight yearling steers returning to the paddock experienced very little change in price, however poor quality lines lost a further 11c/kg…Read More Source: Beef Central Dalby sale 24 April 2019: Prices respond to lower supply

For producers considering how to manage their first-calf heifers this year, they can use these results to set both a weight and fat parameter to aim for. Longer term selection for lower Days-to-calving EBVs and for slightly more positive fatness will have a marked effect on their herds to assist with their practical on-farm strategies… Read more »

Arthur Rickards, who made an enormous contribution to genetic progress and agribusiness in the Australia beef cattle industry over close to half a century, has passed away aged 77, following a long battle with illness…Read More Source: Beef Central Vale Arthur Rickards

Prices mostly rose from last week due to limited numbers yarded, feedlot competition and restocker activity…Read More Source: Beef Central Roma store sale 23 Apr 2019: Steers dominate smaller yarding

Light steer and heifer categories tended to ease in price on AuctionsPlus this week, where cattle numbers offered reduced by more than half in the lead-up to Easter and Anzac Day trading week, with a total yarding of 7417 head recorded across four weekly sales…Read More Source: Beef Central Lighter steers and heifers easier,… Read more »

A new genomic product for Angus seedstock cattle has been launched under a collaboration between Angus Australia and Neogen Australasia. Known as Angus uLD, the new product is an ultra-low density, low cost genomic product that has been developed specifically for genomically testing Australian Angus seedstock females…Read More Source: Beef Central New test delivers… Read more »

The increasing complexity of information available in the search for sires is often a topic of concern among bull buyers.Although producers value the data that is on offer, there is little doubt that many people find the process of searching through numbers overwhelming.This concern has led the NSW DPI to develop a simple platform to… Read more »

A new regional cold storage facility which promises to reduce operational costs, expand storage capacity and increase product sorting capability will drive a new era for southern Darling Downs beef processor, John Dee…Read More Source: Beef Central New cold storage facility drives efficiency for Warwick’s John Dee plant + VIDEO

Beef Central ventured into Grill’d burger restaurants on Monday to observe the customer response to the company’s ‘Meatless Monday’ promotion, and sample a couple of the much-hyped Beyond vege burgers. ..Read More Source: Beef Central How successful was the Grill’d burger chain’s ‘Meatless Monday’?

Amid the chilled meat cabinets of retailers across the world, how does Australian red meat differentiate itself from its many competitors, jostling for position in increasingly crowded export markets? Five years after its launch, the True Aussie symbol is now active in 34 key export markets, representing Australian beef, lamb and goatmeat, and is a… Read more »