JBS Australia has further expanded its southern supply chain branded beef offer, with the launch yesterday of a new commercial breed-specific brand called Hereford Boss.

Underpinned by JBS’s highly-regarded Farm Assurance program, Hereford Boss will meet all carcase and raising claims made by the company’s existing Great Southern brand program, with the addition of livestock being verified as 100 percent Hereford breed content.

Across its expanding commercial brand spectrum, JBS now uses breed-specific brands for Angus (Riverina Angus), Shorthorn (Thousand Guineas) and now, Herefords.

Sam McConnell

Chief operating officer for JBS Southern, Sam McConnell, launched the new brand yesterday while opening the Yarram Park on-property bull sale near the Grampians National Park in Victoria.

“They key to delivering a successful brand is to recognise customer and consumer demand and match it with your ability to supply them with a consistent product 52 weeks of the year,” Mr McConnell told the audience.

“The growth in consumer demand for beef products that meet the key raising claims our Farm Assurance Program guarantees is accelerating at a pace far greater than we ever expected,” he said.

“Consumers are willing to pay premiums for beef that is guaranteed to be grassfed for life, free of added hormones and never treated with antibiotics, as well as numerous animal welfare and farm management practices.

“The growth in this ‘never, ever’ category has been so strong it is almost what is simply expected within some market segments.”

“The growth in this ‘never, ever’ category has been so strong it is almost what is simply expected within some market segments. So to bring the history, pedigree and well-regarded eating quality of the Hereford breed in as a value-add to some of our key customers is something we see as an important stride in continuing to develop a demand-driven branded beef marketing strategy,” Mr McConnell said.

JBS Australia livestock manager southern, Steve Chapman, said Herefords already constituted a significant portion of the Great Southern Farm Assurance program turnoff, and carcase data suggested that the opportunity to market a Hereford brand was a way to further promote the breed and grow the supply base of beef underpinned by JBS Farm Assurance.

“When Herefords Australia contacted us with the opportunity to develop a brand, we saw an upside in working with them to grow and promote the success of the breed through developing a brand that aims to capitalise on their strengths, both on-farm and in-plant,” Mr Chapman said.

“Herefords yield well, have excellent growth rates and have a great temperament to work with which all contributes to a high eating quality and easily marketable finished product,” he said.

Hereford Boss will be processed through the company’s Brooklyn (Vic), Longford (Tas) and Primo, Scone (NSW) plants, and marketed through the JBS value chain with domestic food service and retail being a key target.

“The MSA-backed eating quality of this product will allow us to comfortably place it into some of our food service and niche retailers across Australia and around the world,” JBS sales manager southern, Robert Ryan said.

“Initially we will look to capital cities through our established supply chain linkages and across the likes of south east Asia and North America.”

Herefords Australia chief executive Dr Alex Ball said the development of the brand provided the opportunity for all Hereford breeders to focus on breeding and finishing Hereford cattle that met the demands of a brand and customer-focussed company in JBS Australia.

“It is an exciting time for the Hereford breed, and breeders in Australia when Australia’s largest processor has confidence and commitment to build a prestigious brand in Hereford Boss. JBS has recognised the ability of Hereford cattle to deliver consistent high quality beef to both the domestic and international markets.”