Cattle highlights on AgShow agenda

One of eastern Australia’s largest rural field days kicks off in Toowoomba next Tuesday, September 3, and includes a number of events of interest to the beef and cattle sector. AgShow includes Australia’s largest multi-breed, multi-vendor stud bull sale. To be conducted by Elders and Landmark on Wednesday, Sep 4 and Thursday, Sep 5, the catalogue comprises 331 bulls from 91 vendors representing 11 breeds. This year the main arena has been created as a demonstration area for exhibitors. Demonstrations will included the Yamaha Sky division unmanned helicopter and ODES 4 x 4 quads, including demonstrations in starting young horses in the stockyard. Queensland agriculture minister John McVeigh will be the keynote speaker at the Toowoomba Surat basin Ag Show Agribusiness lunch on Wednesday. At the Rural Press Club of Queensland breakfast on Thursday, Allied Beef managing director James McLean will discuss how the company has used strategic supply chain partnerships to build a network of 40 partner properties and a herd of 80,000 cattle since 2007. For tickets to the Rural Press Club breakfast click here.  For more information about AgShow click here

200ha irrigation for every northern cattleman: Katter

Katter Australia Party leader Bob Katter says an abundance of water in northern Australia should be used to drought-proof the region’s cattle stations. “I can’t explain to Indonesia or even to my own electorate why Northern Australia isn’t allowed to use virtually any of its water whatsoever for irrigation,” said Mr Katter. “Our party’s policy is that every cattleman gets 200ha of freehold irrigation so they can survive droughts, fatten cattle all year round, and get cattle prepared for the Indonesian market six months earlier. With micro-irrigation schemes in five Gulf of Carpentaria and Mid West towns, that would double Northern Australia’s cattle production.” He is also advocating the further development of Port of Karumba to become a major export hub for cattle exports from North Queensland to Indonesia, and to avoid the additional road transport currently required for large-volumes of cattle from the region to be exported out of Darwin.

New northern abattoirs a ‘win-win’: RSPCA

The RSPCA has welcomed the development of an abattoir on Yeeda station between Broome and Derby. This follows last week’s confirmation by the Australian Agricultural Company that it will proceed with the construction of an abattoir near Darwin. Around 255,000 head of cattle are expected to be processed through these two new facilities in the country’s north each year. “From an animal welfare perspective this is a great outcome. Between them, these facilities will dramatically reduce the travel time for many thousands of animals every year,” said Melina Tensen, RSPCA Australia Senior Scientific Officer, Farm Animals. “Animals that would otherwise be trucked thousands of kilometres south or east will now be processed much closer to home; and because transport is stressful for farm animals, that’s a big win for animal welfare.”

Vic livestock forums get social

The Victorian Farmers Federation’s Livestock Group is holding a series of open forums designed to provide an opportunity for farmers voice concerns about key issues, with the first forum to take place in Hamilton next Tuesday, September 3. VFF Livestock President, Ian Feldtmann said the forum will include a focus on the growing influence of social media in agriculture, with AgChatOz and VFF Public Affairs advisor Tom Whitty to speak on the issue. “I think many people have this idea that farmers aren’t interested in Facebook or Twitter, but that is not the case,” Mr Feldtmann said. “Its potential is enormous and often misunderstood. Our livestock team and the VFF have lead the way in the use of new media technologies to communicate to both VFF members and the wider community.” Weekly Times’ Western Victoria Insights reporter and Hamilton local, Kate Dowler will also speak about the role of the media in agriculture. The forum will be held on Tuesday, September 3. 2013, at the Comfort Inn Botanical, corner French and Thompson St, Hamilton, at a cost of $10 for VFF members and $20 for non-members.

Southern online beef manual refreshed

The More Beef from Pastures (MBfP) onlne manual has been refreshed, aiming at providing southern beef producers with tools designed to achieve sustainable increases in the amount of beef produced per hectare. National MBfP co-ordinator Peter Schuster said the average producer only utilises about 35pc of the feed on offer. “The feed is often already there. It is when you graze it and how you graze it that makes all the difference,” Mr Schuster said. “Even if we lift pasture consumption by just 10pc, from 35pc to 45pc, that's an increase in production for a relatively moderate shift.” The MBfP program also covers herd health and welfare, weaner management, marketing and property planning. “All of the information previously available through the program has been consolidated, updated and where required, rewritten to reflect the latest R&D outcomes, particularly the outcomes of the Beef CRC,” Peter said. For more information about the online manual click here