Team Te Mania will stage a two-day mix of on-property field days and a major workshop at Hamilton in western Victoria on September 18 and 19.

Open to all interested beef producers or industry stakeholders, the workshop will start on Tuesday September 18 at the Comfort Inn, Grange Burn.

Guest speaker, associate professor Wayne Pitchford will discuss the latest findings from Beef CRC maternal productivity trials in which Team Te Mania members have been involved.

Team Te Mania is a group of commercial beef producers from across NSW, Victoria and SA who work together as a marketing partnership and in the acceleration of their genetic profiles through extensive progeny testing. The common link, of course, is the use of Ten Mania Angus genetics.  

Program coordinator Hamish McFarlane said participants would hear how the CRC’s maternal productivity trials could improve production efficiency.

Other speakers will include Dr David Beggs, a veterinarian and lecturer at the University of Melbourne, who will discuss the management of bulls to achieve reproductive success.

Hamish Browning, general manager of Elders International Trading will, talk about the global market for beef producers, while Te Mania’s Tom Gubbins will talk about matching genetic requirements to suit the environment and the target market.

The following day, Wednesday, September 19,  long-term Team Te Mania member Harry Youngman of Ardgartan, together with agronomist Robby Zeissig, will demonstrate the management theory of turning grass into beef – a hands-on showcase of production with a disciplined and focused management program forward.

The afternoon session will be held at Wave Hills, Tahara West, where the group will see progeny groups of cattle and discuss maximising results from joining strategies, led by Ian Robertson, and AI specialist, David Plant of Southern Cross Genetics.

Mr McFarlane said Team Te Mania members had priority access to the semen of from the stud’s emerging sires as part of the program, ensuring their progeny were always targeted by feedlots, backgrounders and other herds.

Members are also provided with the stud’s next-generation bulls under a leasing program and through AI.

“The program is complemented by our regular field days and workshops to ensure members are kept up to speed with the progress of others within the group in particular, and the wider industry in general”, he said.

• Details about this year's Team Te Mania field days and workshop are available online at www.temania.com.au