McDonald’s suffers January sales slump

Global burger giant McDonald’s logged a disappointing 1.9 percent slump in sales compared with last year in January. While results for the company’s US operations remained positive at +0.9pc, Europe operations were down 2.1pc and the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region down a disturbing 9.5pc in same-store sales. Chief Executive Don Thompson said while January’s results reflected the current challenging environment and difficult prior-year comparisons, he was confident that the company's current strategies would enhance its brand relevance and drive long-term results. In Europe, positive results in the UK and Russia were offset by poorer performance in Germany, France and other markets. In APMEA, January’s big slump in comparable sales was due to ongoing weakness in Japan and negative results in China due primarily to the shift in timing of Chinese New Year and, to a lesser extent, the residual effects of consumer sensitivity around the recent supply chain issue in the chicken industry. These factors more than offset positive results in Australia.

Cloncurry hosts WH&S workshop

Improving health, safety and injury management outcomes for the beef industry will be the topic of a half-day workshop being held in Cloncurry later this month. The free presentation is being convened by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. Participants will receive information specific to the beef industry on preventing workplace injuries and improving injury management outcomes. The program will be opened by Cloncurry Shire mayor, Andrew Daniels, with speakers from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, and WorkCover Queensland. The forum takes place from 10am on Friday, February 22 in the Cloncurry Community Precinct. Alison Abbott from WHSQ Healthy Worker Initiative will discuss chronic disease prevention; Ros Rees from WHSQ will provide insight into the legislative requirements for workplace safety, while Lawrence Verran from WorkCover Queensland will discuss the financial costs to employers when workplace injuries occur, in addition to what happens when claims go to common law. RSVPs will be taken up to February 15. Contact Ros Rees, 07 322 52168 or roslyn.rees@justice.qld.gov.au

Angus sire benchmarking program field day

Angus Australia will be holding a field day at the Tullimba Research Facility near Armidale on Friday February 22, providing an opportunity to inspect 300 steers sired by 35 Angus bulls included in the first cohort of the Angus Sire Benchmarking Program (ASBP). These steers are undergoing feed efficiency testing at the University of New England’s Tullimba facility near Kingstown, west of Armidale. Over the next three years 1500 steers by around 120 Angus sires will be measured for feed intake and efficiency, while their heifer siblings will have female fertility results recorded in the co-operator herds. The Angus Sire Benchmarking Program is part of an MLA Beef Information Nucleus project and is supported by Angus Australia. The day will kick off at 8.30am with presentations by Peter Parnell (CEO Angus Australia) and Bob Dent (ASBP Co-ordinator), followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion. Attendance is free, but RSVP is essential for catering purposes. Call Amanda on 02 6772 3011.

3rd Northern Gulf Graziers Forum

Despite the challenges faced by producers in Queensland’s Northern Gulf Region over the last five years, including cyclones, floods, fires and market access issues, local stakeholders are continuing to look at ways to turn the region’s beef industry around. Local producers together with the Northern Gulf Resource Management Group (NGRMG) and the Etheridge Shire Council are pulling together to deliver the region’s third ‘Northern Gulf Graziers Forum’. This year’s gathering will be held at Mt Surprise on March 19 and 20. A range of presenters from across Australia will attend, not only talk on their field of expertise but to also interact with producers and get feedback on various projects and industry direction. There will be a debrief on the recent fires including disaster and drought relief arrangements, managing stocking rates and carrying capacity, animal health and drug handling. The day will also deliver updates including the progress of the proposed Business Improvement Package, Payments for Ecosystem Services, Vegetation Management Act, State Rural Leasehold Land Strategy, Tenure Conversion and Subdivision. The closing session on Wednesday will be a general discussion on future directions. To book a seat and accommodation contact Dale Harrison at the NGRMG Georgetown Office 07 4062 1330.

More countries ban Brazilian beef

Two more countries, Qatar and Belarus, have banned purchases of Brazilian beef over concerns about the country’s recent atypical BSE detection. There are now 12 countries with such bans in place following the discovery of an atypical BSE case in cow in the state of Paraná in 2010. The list also includes Japan, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Peru, Lebanon, Jordan and Chile that suspended purchases of meat and bone meals. These markets represented approximately 5pc of Brazil’s overall beef exports in 2012. Brazil continues to claim the bans are illegitimate, warning it will pursue countries through the World Trade Organisation that do not lift their ban by March. Last week, a technical mission from Brazil travelled to Iran responding to a request for first-hand details about the 2010 BSE case. Brazil did not disclose the detection until late 2012. The mission is part of the Brazilian strategy to ‘clear all doubts’ arising in beef trade partner countries.

Shop while you commute

Brisbane commuters last month had the opportunity to do the bus-shop. In a trial during January, Woolworths installed more than 30 ‘virtual supermarkets’ at bus stops across the inner-city, in a move that follows a national rollout of barcode technology. Using a mobile phone, commuters were able to choose from grocery items featured on the billboards and have them delivered to their home. The ad-shelters featured rows of photographs of packaged food, each with a barcode underneath. Almost sixty items, including raw sausages and beef patties, bottles of tomato sauce and serviettes, were available. Consumers download an App, nominate a store near their home, scan the items, and have them delivered. A Woolworths spokesperson said that the bus-shops were aimed at making customers’ lives ‘that little bit easier’ by saving them valuable time and taking the hassle out of visiting a store. There is no indication yet whether Woolworths will continue with the bus-shops’ scattered throughout the city and inner suburbs, for which the official trial finished on January 27.

Victorian Angus stud tops RASV Heifer Challenge

Riga Angus, from Mansfield in Victoria, has earned the championship in the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria’s 2013 Heifer Challenge. Riga Angus is a family business owned and operated by Ian and Vera Finger. Their champion pen included progeny of Te Mania Africa, BTMA217 and Sitz New Design 458N. “We are delighted with the 10 heifers that represented our next group of breeding females. We look for functional cattle, as well as phenotype and EBVs. Functionality really is the key to productivity in our herd,” Ms Finger said. “The RASV Heifer Challenge is a great opportunity to get some recognition for what we are aiming to achieve,” she said. Reserve champion was a pen entry from James and Nicki Pearce, Yavenvale Herefords, Adelong, NSW. Presentation of the awards took place at a Beef Week celebratory dinner held in the King Valley. Competitors in the heifer challenge were required to display pens of 10 registered heifers for judging. Seventy entries competed for a total prize pool worth $4500.

JBS opens two new plants

JBS, SA has opened two new beef processing plants in Brazil’s Mato Grosso state. In combination the plants will process 2250 head per day. The plant openings are in line with plans announced late last year by JBS, which involve increasing cattle slaughter in Brazil by two million head in 2013. JBS plans to open two more Brazilian processing plants in the states of Goiás and Pará in April. Meanwhile, Brazil’s beef exports reached a new record in 2012, driven by increased demand and a favourable exchange rate, recording a value of US$5.77 billion, up 7.3pc from 2011. It said beef shipments had not been significantly affected by bans from minor importers, including China and South Africa, after last year’s case of atypical BSE. Export volume rose to 1.13 million tonnes in 2012, up 11.9pc, despite top buyer Russia suspending import licenses from three Brazilian states, bewildering Brazilian officials who said there were no grounds for the action. In 2012, Russia accounted for 19pc of Brazil's beef exports. Hong Kong (a defacto grey channel for China) and the European Union were the second and third largest buyers respectively. Brazil’s currency, the Real, weakened 8.6pc in 2012, making Brazil's exports less expensive on the international market.Victorian Angus stud tops RASV Heifer Challenge

Get your land-caring project off the ground

Grants ranging between $5000 and $50,000 are available to support local sustainable agriculture and community engagement projects, as part of the Australian Government’s $2.2 billion Caring for our Country initiative. Landcare Grants make it possible for local community-based groups to take action to help achieve a sustainable, productive, profitable and resilient agricultural base. Community Landcare Grants aim to help:

• build a skilled and capable Landcare community
• encourage community participation and engagement in Landcare
• share information and learnings in sustainable agricultural techniques
• reduce the spread of pest species
• encourage the adoption of improved sustainable land management practices.

Organisations involved with Landcare, community-based groups and Indigenous groups are encouraged to apply. Applications close on March 20. To find out more visit www.nrm.gov.au