New tickets available for Troy Setter breakfast

An expansion in the capacity of the venue for the Beef 2015 Rural Press Club breakfast featuring Consolidated Pastoral Group CEO Troy Setter means more tickets are now available for the event. All 300 seats had were sold out but the extended capacity at the Sidney Kidman Pavillion has opened additional seating for up to 400 seats at the breakfast. Mr Setter will talk about how CPC has embarked on a journey to transform its cattle business from a farm gate producer to a vertically integrated, customer focused marketer, and how the company is repositioning to take advantage of growing Asian markets including China. Tickets for the event can be booked via the Beef 2015 official ticketing agency – http://www.seeitlive.com.au/Whats_On/Beef_Australia_2015. The breakfast ticket ($55) includes entry into Beef 2015 for that day.

Lee Kernaghan to star in Ruralco marquee

Country music’s hottest artist, Lee Kernaghan, will be a major attraction at the Ruralco marquee at Beef Australia on Wednesday, May 6. Kernaghan’s latest album, ‘Spirit of the Anzacs’, has sat at number 1 on the ARIA charts for the past four weeks since its release. Members of the public will be able to purchase, and have signed, copies of ‘Spirit of the Anzacs’ and Kernaghan’s autobiography, Boy from the Bush. Kernaghan will appear in the Ruralco Marquee (C209) from 12pm for a limited time before performing at a VIP function later in the afternoon. Proceeds from the sale of Kernaghan’s book during Beef Australia will go to the Royal Flying Doctor Service Rockhampton Volunteer Auxiliary. “Ruralco is extremely proud to have Lee as our ambassador and we congratulate him on this fantastic achievement.   The album really touches the heartstrings of all Australians,’’ Ruralco Managing Director John Maher said.

Ribs and Rumps truck to tantalise the tastebuds

As a key part of Beef Australia’s platform to showcase all levels of the beef industry from paddock to plate, one of Rockhampton’s most popular restaurants, Ribs and Rumps, will operate a 300 seat food outlet at the beef fuelled mecca. Conveniently next to the XXXX cattleman’s bar, Ribs and Rumps will feature a mammoth B-double food truck to serve up some meat magnificence whilst showcasing a small, yet innovative menu, Ribs and Rumps General Manager Mark Kitson said. Owner Salesh Ramswarup anticipates the ‘pop-up restaurant’ will serve over four tonnes of beef, including a whopping 2000kg of ribs, not to mention 216kg of rump and tenderloin, 168 kg of Angus beef pies, chips, onion rings and coleslaw. Beef Central wrote about the expanding Ribs & Rumps casual steak dining business in this recent article.

Safeguarding stock at Beef 2015

Biosecurity Queensland says it is working closely with the organisers of Beef Australia 2015 to make sure no unwanted visitors make it into this year’s event. DAF Regional Director Paul Walmsley said biosecurity officers have developed a detailed plan and preventative actions for incoming livestock to minimise any possibility of diseases entering the venue in livestock, or carried in on people, machinery or food products. Beef Australia has arranged for an on call veterinarian to be available to deal with any stock related injuries and illnesses. “In the unlikely event of a disease being detected at the expo, we have processes in place to isolate any affected stock to minimise any spread of disease, Mr Walmsley said. He added that all exhibitors were encouraged to understand their movement requirements prior to the event. “Biosecurity Queensland staff will be located on site for the event working with the Beef Australia committee to help exhibitors with their livestock movement requirements,” he said. “This includes cattle tick clearance, issuing movement permits, NLIS reporting, and providing advice and health certificates for stock sold at the event. Exhibitors can discuss their requirements with staff located at the Queensland Government mobile office. Exhibitors bringing livestock into the Beef Australia 2015 site will need a fully completed NVD Waybill, and all stock must be NLIS compliant. All horses entering the site must have a completed horse Health Declaration and they must have a current Hendra virus vaccination.”

CQUniversity education and innovation breakfast

CQUniversity, which is rapidly emerging as one of Australia’s leading agricultural research and teaching universities, will conduct a special Education and Innovation Breakfast at Beef 2015 at 7am, Wednesday May 6, in the Archer Room of the Travelodge Hotel, Rockhampton. CQUniversity will launch its new agriculture study pathways and program, and showcase agricultural research being conducted at the University. Please RSVP by Friday, 1 May 2015 to ceg@cqu.edu.au. For more information please call Mark Tobin on 07 4930 9612.