An offering of 500 high quality PTIC cows on AuctionsPlus today signals the start of Australian Agricultural Co’s 2012 surplus female marketing program.

The company has announced plans to market large lines of commercial breeders through a number of channels between now and mid-year.

As it did in 2011, there is a prospect the world’s largest beef producer will stage at least one large commercial breeder sale in Roma around mid-year, and is now offering large lines of composite and Brahman-based females in the paddock. Purchasing options will include a calf buyback contract.

Last July, AA Co held a special sale at Roma clearing about 3500 head of PTIC heifers, cows, and cows and calves, mostly Santa based. Buyers came from a wide area of Eastern Australia, bidding up for the large, even lines of quality genetics on offer.

A final go-ahead on a Roma sale, or sales, this year will depend on the depth of demand in the meantime, out of the paddock.

In a recent statement, AA Co said its 2012 breeding cattle marketing program would provide buyers with a range of composite cattle types.

“Australian and international commercial beef cattle breeders have the opportunity to purchase some of Northern Australia’s leading-edge composite genetics as the 2012 breeding sales season gets underway,” the company said.

AA Co’s chief operating officer Troy Setter said the company’s innovative cattle genetics program combined with another excellent wet season across the majority of its properties in Northern and Central Australia, had ensured the quality and condition of breeding cows and heifers to be dispersed this year would be exceptional.”

Over the past decade, AA Co has developed four high-performing composite breeds that have demonstrated superior performance, productivity and profitability over their purebred component breeds.

The composite types include:

• AA Co Composite – Senepol /Charolais/Santa
• AA Co Angus Composite –  Senepol /Charolais/Angus
• Gulf Composite – Senepol / Charolais/Brahman /Red Angus
• Brahman Composite.

”Each of AA Co’s composite breeds are vigorously monitored throughout our supply chain from conception through to the consumer’s plate – it’s all about maximising performance from DNA to the dinner plate,” Mr Setter said.

“We’re constantly comparing their performance against traditional breeds through carefully-designed trials set in commercial environments and day-to-day production statistics and customer feedback.”

The DNA samples and production data collected and stored enable AA Co to trace bloodlines through the production process and identify superior animals for breeding and beef production.

AA Co continues to operate two BreedPlan databases – one to evaluate its AA Co Composite program and the other for the Gulf Composite program.

“This approach enables us to calculate Estimated Breeding Values for a range of traits including growth, fertility, carcase yield and meat quality,” Mr Setter said.

”As a global marketer of beef, we recognise the growing trend for consumers to equate knowing the origin of the food they are eating with quality – especially at the premium end of the market. Being able to provide this information gives our products a competitive edge.”

As part of its female disposal this year, AA Co is providing a range of purchasing opportunities including direct sale, indirect sale via livestock agents, online auction and (prospectively) a series of feature sales including Roma.

The company will also be offering a buyback option for the progeny of our composite breeding cattle sold this season, subject to certain sale conditions.

This week’s statement said AA Co’s composite cattle genetics program offers breeders the opportunity to improve the quality and profitability of their commercial herds, producing tick tolerant cattle suited to a wide range of end markets from live export to grainfed and grassfed slaughter.

• Australian and international buyers interested in sourcing AA Co females should contact Troy Setter on +61 7 3368 4431 or email Cattle@aaco.com.au to receive information