Northern beef producers will have a chance to catch up on results from the Australian Brahman Breeders Association’s ongoing Beef Information Nucleus (BIN) project and sire progeny testing work at a field day on Tuesday, April 16.

The field day will be held at Banana Station, near Banana, in Central Queensland.

The BIN Project is part of the Beef CRC/Meat & Livestock Australia Strategic Plan for DNA Marker Commercialisation and aims to improve gene markers relevant to Australian beef breeds and production systems.

The three-year project is evaluating 20-25 Brahman sires each year and their progeny of about 750 calves. Cattle have been sourced from three co-operator herds: Mark and Belinda Wilson, Banana Station, Banana; Rob and Annie Donoghue, Barranga Grazing, Bauhinia; and the CSIRO’s Belmont Research Station.

By incorporating genomic data into Breedplan, Brahman beef producers will be able to more accurately and reliably select animals based on economically important performance traits such as carcase and meat quality, female reproductive performance and growth.

The field day will display steers from round-one and round-two of the project, penned according to their sire group, and some heifers.

ABBA general manager John Croaker will provide a progress update on the project, which has now completed its third year of joining.

Guest speaker Paul Williams, Tropical Beef Technology Services, will present data from round-one of the project including Breedplan Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for 200, 400 and 600-day growth, and scan results for eye muscle area and rib and rump fat depth.

Dr David Johnston, principal scientist, Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU), Armidale, will give an update on the AGBU/CRC genomics project and share how BIN data will be used in the future.

Heifer fertility data and the importance of recording reproduction performance will also be discussed at the field day, which starts at 9.30am.

• For catering purposes, intending visitors should RSVP to Liz at the ABBA by April 11, on (07) 4921 2506 or by emailing liz@brahman.com.au