RESULTS from the Beef 2024 National Beef Carcase Competition have been revised, following the discovery of discrepancies within the data used to determine the original results announced back on 7 May.

The revisions come after a detailed review of all data provided by the 17 processing facilities from across Australia used to process carcases for the competition, Beef Australia said in a statement.

The review highlighted anomalies caused by a transcription error when the data was originally being consolidated across the 89 lots spread across 44 kill dates over a six-month period.

Beef Central alerted readers in its original National Carcase Competition report published during the Beef 2024 event last month to the fact that changes to results were likely.

At one point after the calculation error was first identified, rumours circulated that the underlying problem was a ‘previously undiscovered anomaly’ in MSA plant-to-plant grading reporting – specifically to do with hot or cold carcase hump height and oss measurements. That has since proven to be without foundation.

The good news is that many of the major competition winners and class winners announced last month remain unchanged.

JBS Australia still holds the grand champion pen trophy originally presented last month for its pen of Angus and Angus cross steers carcases representing the company’s Yambinya Station, a backgrounding property run as part of JBS Australia’s Yambinya feedlot near Burraboi, NSW.

The steers, run without HGP, were fed at Yambinya under JBS’s Portoro Natural grain program, including no GMOs HGPs or antibiotics. Since its launch last year, the Portoro brand program has rapidly grown, now accounting for around 600 carcases per week. Markets are widespread, into North and Southeast Asia as well as domestic food service users. Carcase weights for the program average around 370kg, after 130 days on feed.

The same three carcases also produced the competition’s best pen of three MSA index award (revised from original results), as well as the individual best MSA Index carcase (also revised from original results).

The three Yambinya Station entries from the export grainfed 300-420kg class produced MSA index scores of 70.22 (the only entry in the entire competition to rank in the 70s), 69.74 and 66.83, for an incredible average of 68.93.

In terms of the amendments made to the original competition announcements, some of the biggest changes appeared in MSA index scores. Where the original results sheet suggested 13 individual carcases out of the 732 assessed for this year’s competition had produced index scores of an incredible 70 or higher, that number has now been reduced to just the single entry from the Yambinya Station champion pen.

The best of the three Yambina championship winning steers went on to be crowned the competition’s revised champion single carcase. This milk-tooth produced the competition’s only remaining MSA Index score in the 70s (70.22) a 380kg carcase, AusMeat marbling score of 6, and total MSA score of 54.42/55. The carcase also excelled in yield, producing a 93sq cm and estimated lean meat yield of 55.9pc.

Individual carcase outcomes

Some changes did occur in the single carcase champion rankings – but it is important to point out that the National Beef Carcase Competition is not a single carcase entry event – it is a competition for best three carcases, and it is important to prioritise any discussion of results as such.

Reserve champion single carcase from the event is now a Shorthorn entry from Bayview Shorthorns and Angus, Naracoorte, South Australia.

This heifer carcase, one of a trio entered by Bayview in the light trade grassfed class for carcases sub-280kg, produced an MSA Index score of 65.87, AusMeat marbling of 6, eye muscle area of 67sq cm and estimated lean meat yield of 61.29pc.

Speaking after the results adjustment announcement, Beef Australia carcase committee chairman David Hill said the aim was for the National Beef Carcase Competition to be Australia’s most prestigious contest of its type, and upholding its integrity and amending placings had been a priority of Beef Australia and the committee.

“We offer our sincere apologies to the exhibitors who have been impacted and disappointed, however it was highly important that we rectify the results and acknowledge those who have been successful within the competition,” he said.

This year’s Beef Australia carcase competition was not the first to see substantial amendments made to carcase results. A National Livestock Feedback Trial carcase competition held either in 1988 or 1991 also made large calculation errors, resulting in a second round of Qantas international flight tickets being provided to a revised championship winner some weeks later.

Here’s a quick rundown on this year’s other class winners, based on the revised results:

• Pasture-fed light trade steer or heifer class, 200-280kg: a trio of Angus steers exhibited by Bruce Campbell, AS & M Campbell & Son, Keysbrook, Western Australia, and processed at V&V Walsh.
• Pasture fed heavy trade steers or heifers 280-360kg: The class was topped by India Williamson, Moore Park, Glen Innes NSW with Angus steers, processed at NH Foods Wingham Beef.
• Pasture fed export steer class for entries 300-420kg: Topped by Angus entries exhibited by Roger Wilkinson, Bathurst NSW and processed at JBS Scone.
• Grainfed medium trade steers or heifers (200kg – 280kg): Blonde d’Aquitaines exhibited by Terry Nolan, Cooloola Blondes, Gympie Qld
• Grainfed heavy trade steers or heifers (280-360kg: D and A Skinner, three steers processed at Teys Wagga
• Unrestricted feeding class for entries 260-360kg produced a win for St Mary’s College, Gunnedah, and H Birchall’s Wallawong Premium Beef with a combination of Silver Angus and Braunvieh entries, processed at NH Foods Wagga.

The full set of revised results can be accessed  – click here