PUBLISHED below are some briefs on interesting events and attractions visitors can see and participate in during their visit to Beef 2024 in May…..

• Wagyu industry on show under new marquee
• Cibo Labs milestone at beef 2024
• Ag tech event to tap the potential of flying drones beyond line of sight
• Rare show-ring event for Palgrove
• Elders celebrates marks 185 years
• ICMJ networking event
• Cattle assessment, carbon and organics field day

Wagyu industry on show under new marquee

The Australian Wagyu Association will have a strong presence at Beef 2024, centred around a stand-alone marquee providing a gathering point for current breed stakeholders and those interested in opportunities to breed Wagyu-influenced feeder cattle, or trade in Wagyu beef.

The marquee, pictured above, will include information on the breed’s unique meat quality characteristics, branded beef programs and Wagyu cattle breeding in Australia. It will also provide space for meetings and discussion with breeders and supply chain managers working along the Wagyu chain.

The Australian Wagyu Association will host the sold-out Wagyu Long Lunch on Monday 6 May, placing Wagyu beef on centre stage for the first time at a Beef Australia event. The lunch for 440 guests will feature four courses using product from Wagyu member supply chains Harmony Agriculture, Stone Axe Pastoral, Andrews Meats and Stanbroke.

The AWA will also host a number of information sessions in the marquee or the seminar precinct, including:

• Feed conversion efficiency measurement and selection progress, presented by Vytelle’s Lisa Rumsfeld and Andrew Donohue, and AWA’s Matt McDonagh (James Lawrence seminar room 10-11.30am Tuesday May 7)
• Health scientist Dr Anneline Padayachee will guide a nutritional science journey relating the reasons why Wagyu looks and tastes as good as it does + Q&A (Marquee 9.30am-Noon, Wednesday 8 May)
• Breakthroughs in artificial breeding technology, presented by NBRYO’s Gerard Davis and Sophia Edwards (Marquee 1-2.30pm, Wednesday May 8)
• Grazing, emissions and the supply chain, Ruminati Q&A (Marquee Noon-1pm, Tuesday 7 May)
• Artificial breeding service provider Neogen will present at the marquee from 1-2pm on Tues May 7.

The AWA site will host sundowners for industry stakeholders each day of the Beef 2024 event from 3pm.

The marquee will be located at the Outdoor sites 024-026, in the Beef 2024 Partner Precinct, opposite the Exhibition Hall.

 

Cibo Labs milestone at Beef 2024

Cibo Labs’ major presence at Beef 2024 will mark a major halfway milestone for the delivery of the satellite-driven Australian Feedbase Monitor (AFM), a joint $4.7 million project delivered with MLA.

Since the launch of the AFM in November 2022, the number of producers using the platform has gone past 2400, with 3580 individual farms included. The total area now being managed by AFM users exceeds 91.9 million hectares.

Beef 2024 offers the opportunity to demonstrate the value the AFM has for producers in optimising grazing decisions, managing groundcover and benchmarking current and past management strategies.

Throughout the event, Cibo Labs will be providing producers attending the event with a free Farm Report (normally valued at $165) which benchmarks pasture biomass growth for a property since 2017, aligned to rainfall events as well as comparison to local trends. This powerful report allows producers to see their pasture response to rainfall and to understand their monthly and annual feedbase variability since 2017.

New workshop

Cibo Labs will also be promoting the newly developed “Grazing for Growth” workshop, a one-day program focussing on utilising real time data, provided from satellite imagery and machine learning in livestock production systems. Participants will be provided with an overview of livestock intake and production, and progress to using data provided by Cibo Labs to design accurate and effective feeding strategies.

Throughout the week, Cibo Labs is offering Beef24 attendees can enter into a draw to win a 12-month subscription to the premium PastureKey service, providing data on pasture growth, pasture mass and ground cover for each paddock every five days. The service can also be integrated with other programs such as AgriWebb and FarmBot, allowing producers greater opportunity to make timely grazing decisions.

The Cibo Labs team can assist producers in setting up their AFM accounts as well as addressing questions on any of the Cibo Services.

• The Cibo Labs team can be found in Ken Coombe OAM Tech Yards & Innovation Hub at Site T39.

 

Ag tech event to tap the potential of flying drones beyond line of sight

CROWDS descending on Rockhampton this year will get a firsthand look at a drone muster, with the pilot in a completely different location.

SkyKelpie founder, Nuffield scholar and north-west Queensland producer Luke Chaplain has been studying the applications of drones in recent years – looking at their potential for locating and mustering livestock, along with other applications like pest control.

Mr Chaplain claims the muster at the Ergon Stage at 1:30pm is a world first live remote muster, where the pilot and the drone are in separate locations.

SkyKelpie has become known in recent years for its innovative drone work, using sound effects to assist animals and tracking down some of the world’s best technology.

Mr Chaplain has also been campaigning to have “line of sight” rules re-assessed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to give producers on remote properties and easier path to using drones outside line of sight. He told Beef Central in 2022, that the line of sight rules were limiting the industry.

“It might work for smaller paddocks or producers who want to follow the drone on a side-by-side vehicle,” he said.

“But it is not really practical for a long-term solution on a larger scale.”

Mr Chaplain is also a finalist in Beef Australia’s Pitch in the Paddock competition.

 

Rare show-ring visit for Palgrove

Having been absent from stud beef show rings across Australia for the past ten years, Charolais and Ultrablack bull breeder Palgrove will step back into the competition judging ring during Beef 2024 next month.

Palgrove will exhibit a team of Ultrablack bulls and females at the country’s premier beef industry event.

“This will be a one-off for us to support this occasion,” general manager Ben Noller said.

All 17 members of the stud team, comprising five bulls and 12 females will be sold in a special sale in center ring on the Thursday night following the interbreed judging, around 5.30pm on Thursday 9 May. While it has sold Ultrablack females privately or in bigger runs of commercial females on Auctionsplus in the past, the ‘First of our Finest’ sale represents the first time Palgrove has offered access to its elite Ultrablack female herd. The sale will be managed by Hourn & Bishop and interfaced on AuctionsPlus.

Click here for details.

 

 

Elders celebrates 185 years

National stock and station agency Elders will celebrate 185 years of operations with events during Beef Australia 2024.

Throughout the week-long program, Elders will be hosting a series of activities, from elite Wagyu sales, to seminars and more.

The official 185 year milestone will be marked with a gathering at the Elders Pavilion (Partner Precinct outdoor sites 021-023) from 3.30pm on Tuesday 7 May. Hear from the Elders managing director and CEO, Mark Allison. Elders Livestock Production Advisor, Todd Donaldson will treat the audience to a bush poetry performance, evoking the spirit of the land and the rich history of Elders going back to 1839. There will be drinks and lots of fun giveaways, so drop by and celebrate at this free event..

Elders is also involved in a number of Beef 2024 seminars.

The first, titled High performance cultures and the impact for regional communities, happens on Tuesday 7 May from Noon to 1:30pm in the James Lawrence Pavilion.

Facilitated by Elders MD Mark Allison, this industry panel will discuss the elements and attributes needed to foster high performing cultures within our businesses and communities in our regions. Mark will be joined by Jeff Reibel, CEO of The North Queensland Cowboys; Julia Spicer, Engage & Create Consulting and QLD’s Chief Entrepreneur in 2022, and William Bulo, General Manager of Consolidated Pastoral Co’s Indonesian operations. The panel will explore the who, the what and the how, that high performing and thriving cultures can have in positively influencing and impacting the regions in which we work, live and grow. Tickets $55 via the event werbsite.

A second panel discussion will focus on ensuring that carbon farming has an agricultural approach. Taking place on the Tech Talks stage, this free seminar happens on Thursday 9 May from 11:15am. Facilitated by head of Thomas Elder Sustainability, Dave McKeon, this panel session will explore how taking an agricultural-focused approach to carbon farming will improve alignment between achieving mutual agricultural and carbon farming outcomes. Dave will be joined by Naomi Wilson, Head of Environment and Sustainability at AA Co, James Henderson, Owner of H3K Cattle Co & Isidore Agri & Eco Solutions in Biloela QLD and Dr Thakur Bhattarai, National Carbon Farming Technical Manager at Elders in Rockhampton.

ICMJ networking event

A networking event at Beef 2024 in Rockhampton will provide a unique opportunity for alumni of the Intercollegiate Meat Judging (ICMJ) program to reconnect and network with fellow ICMJ participants and supporters. Whether it’s been three or 30 years since you attended, partnered or worked with ICMJ, you’re invited to attend. The event will be held in the Teys Marquee (Site 107 & 108) at Beef Australia from 4pm to 6pm on Thursday 9 May, 2024. Registration is just $33 and includes drinks and canapes. For further information and to register click here

Cattle assessment, carbon and organics field day

Cattle producers are invited to attend a cattle assessment, carbon and organics field day on a property near Rockhampton on Sunday May 5. The field day will feature Gerald Wyatt from Classic Livestock Management Services, renowned livestock assessor and author of the book “The vision Tender – The Keys to Livestock Mastery”, discussing cattle assessment methodologies in the cattle yards. He will talk on and demonstrate choosing tender, fertile, consistent and balanced cattle, identifying fertility traits, assessing hormonal activity, selecting for tenderness, the importance of high quality milk and other topic, Mick Alexander will also be speaking on organic management and carbon farming methodologies on the host property Bindaree, while Myles Balentine will discuss liquid nutrition. The field day will be held at Bindaree, Garnant (42km from Rockhampton), at a cost of $30/ person (smoko supplied). Numbers are limited so pre-booking required. BYO: Chair. More information and contact details in flyer here..