Beef 2015

Pastoral company heads commit to Beef 2015 speaking engagements

Jon Condon, 27/02/2015

beef-2015

 

THE operational heads of two of the world’s largest beef-producing enterprises have accepted invitations to speak at separate gatherings at Beef 2015 in Rockhampton in May.

Troy Setter

Troy Setter

Gradually, the event’s conference, seminar and business breakfast program is being filled-in with speaker confirmations, and the inclusion of Consolidated Pastoral Co’s Troy Setter and Australian Agricultural Co’s Jason Strong to the program will only add further weight to an already information-packed schedule.

Mr Setter, CPC’s chief executive officer appointed in July last year, has accepted an invitation to speak at the Queensland Rural Press Club breakfast on the Rockhampton Showgrounds on Thursday morning, May 7.

Following the completion of a deal earlier this week to purchase 178,800ha Victoria River District breeding and growing property, Bunda, CPC’s northern Australian property portfolio has grown to 20 stations across Queensland, Western Australia and the NT, running more than 375,000 head of cattle. Together, the stations vertically-integrate with two joint-venture feedlots in Indonesia.

Under Mr Setter’s guidance, the company is executing a five-year plan transitioning from being simply a large scale cattle producer servicing the live export and traditional markets, into a vertically-integrated beef producer closer to end-customers.

“CPC and its owner, Terra Firma, see considerable opportunities across the beef value chain,” Mr Setter told Beef Central.

“We will continue to look at value-adding acquisitions which will allow us to expand grazing capacity, as we continue to transform CPC from a farm-gate producer to a vertically integrated, customer-focussed business.”

In it’s half-yearly financial statement for the period ended December 30, CPC recorded live export sales volumes for the first six months of 2014-15 of 44,102 head, making up for delayed sales to Indonesia in the first quarter of the financial year.

While Indonesia remains of key importance as a customer, CPC has developed new relationships with exporters to provide a sales route into other Asian markets and continues to explore opportunities to increase its participation in the rapidly expanding China market.

At the same time, the company was actively involved in discussions late last year on the potential opening-up of the live cattle trade into China.

 

Meanwhile, Australian Agricultural Co’s chief executive officer, Jason Strong, has also accepted an invitation to speak at a Beef 2015 business breakfast function hosted by legal firm,McCullough Robertson.

Jason Strong

Jason Strong

He will share his views on the trends affecting the beef industry and the challenges and opportunities that are expected over the next three years.

AA Co is Australia’s largest integrated beef and cattle producer and the oldest continuously operating company in Australia. Its beef herd last year retracted due to drought-forced herd reduction, to about 467,000 head.

Of particular interest will be a summary of progress at the company’s recently-opened Livingstone abattoir south of Darwin. Click here to view last weekend’s official launch story on the Livingstone plant.

The $93 million facility,   which began operations in October, will eventually have the capacity to process 220,000 head of cattle each year on a two-shift-per-day basis.

As Australia’s only publicly listed beef producer, AA Co’s share price provides a fair barometer of broader cattle market sentiment and northern seasonal trends. The stock was trading yesterday at $1.60, close to its highest point since its boom period during 2007-08. Some brokers watching the AA Co stock have tipped it for a strong buy for 2015.

 

  • Troy Setter will speak at the Queensland Rural Press Club breakfast in the Sidney Kidman Pavilion, Thursday, May 7. Tickets go on sale in coming weeks.
  • Jason Strong will speak at theMcCullough Robertson Outlook breakfast, Rockhampton Leagues Club, 6 May. Attendance by invitation only.

 

 

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Comments

  1. Paul D. Butler, 28/02/2015

    A real shame that BEEF 2015 leaders have missed the opportunity to have Johann Zietsman speak. His comments would be much more relevant and have more value for the man who has his boots on the ground…….than anything the Big company honchos could say.

    profitableranching.com

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