Angus Bulletin Winter 2024

A N GUS BULLETIN

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Angus for Every System at the Northern Territory Cattleman's Association Conference

Angus Australia's Extension Manager, Jake Phillips caught up with a number of producers at the conference in Alice Springs to find out how they are using Angus genetics in their northern production system and the benefits the Angus breed brings to their operation.

There is now an online form option available to members to assist in submitting their Catalogue and Advertising requests to the Angus Australia catalogues service with further ease.

The Trans-Tasman Angus Cattle Evaluation (TACE) EBVs and progeny averages listed in the Angus Sire Benchmarking Project (ASBP) Progeny Performance Reports and online in angus.tech have recently been updated to include the following progeny data:

Cohort 12 – yearling and feedlot traits data

· Cohort 13 – Birth and Weaning traits data

This edition of Paddock Talk has an update from Simon Quilty from Global AgriTrends a weather forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology a session with Livestock Genetics Representative for PGG Wrightson, NZ, Emma Pollitt.

With the completion of the Mid-June 2024 TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation, updated versions of the following reports are now available:

Angus Australia Sire Summary,

Angus Australia Genetic Benchmarking Report

Sire RBV List for Mature Cow Body Condition and Mature Cow Height

Research Breeding Values (RBV)

Sire report for Coat Type RBV

Sire report for ImmuneDEX RBV

Sire report for MSA Marbling RBV

Sire report for Shear Force RBV

The Angus Sire Benchmarking Program (ASBP) is a major research initiative of Angus Australia with support from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and industry partners such as Rangers Valley Feedlot and John Dee Abattoir.

Presidents Report

Sinclair Munro, President and Board Chairman Angus Australia

Firstly, I would like to say I am so proud to be the incoming President of Angus Australia. A big thankyou to past President Erica Halliday for all the work she has done. Erica was so professional whilst personable in leading such an effective board.

I welcome newly elected Vice President Peter Collins and am looking forward to working with him and all the directors. I welcome Simon Falkiner and Ed Archer as new directors to the nine-member board. Thank you to Hamish McFarlane, Jock Hughes and Perry Gunner for their service to Angus Australia. We will miss all three of you.

Like all organisations, people are the key. We are so fortunate to have around 4,000 members that are invested in “Angus for Every System”. Personally, it gives me great pleasure to work closely with our CEO Scott Wright and liase with staff. Member engagement continues to grow through affiliated groups and consultative committees. It is so important that the board receives constructive feedback and keeps in touch with member concerns.

As President I have hit the ground running, with an enlightening trip to New Zealand. It was a pleasure to be part of the GenAngus Future Leaders Program, meet and spend time with such a fine group of Australian and New Zealand cattle enthusiasts. A big thanks to Achmea Australia for their continued sponsorship, and to our extension team of Jake Phillips and Nancy Crawshaw making the programme such a success.

Scott and I also enjoyed visiting a number of Angus cattle breeders whilst in New Zealand. This reinforced to me the

similarities we have and synergies for the future.

In partnership with American and Canadian Angus Associations, the launch of the World Angus Evaluation is a major step forward. I congratulate Christian Duff and the Genetic Improvement team for their work. It is timely for us to have increased collaboration with other Angus breed societies around the world, in both genetic improvement tools and to further enhance market-based Angus premiums. I must say, it is a credit to our members who for over so many years continue to collect and submit so much pedigree, phenotype and genomic information. Combine this with the Angus Sire Benchmarking Program, we have developed a “gold standard” Genetic Evaluation System. Our TACE system is based on science and validated in the field. It is important to remember, Angus Australia continues to build and improve tools to support breeders in their quest to breed more profitable cattle.

As Chairman of the board, I will encourage directors to keep focus on the Angus Australia Profit Triangle of Genetic Improvement, Market Based Angus Premiums and to Create Efficiency in Member Services.

As an organization, we need to remember “It is not the strongest species that survives, but ones most responsive to change”.

Sinclair Munro

Looking forward, 2025 will be a massive year with the 2025 Neogen World Angus Forum to be held next May. It is no easy task, and the World Angus Forum Consultative Committee has set the plan. We have a unique opportunity to showcase our cattle to so many all over the world. I encourage everyone to play a part in this special occasion. The Forum is a time for business, trade, education, fun, friendships and collaboration.

All the best to all our members and I am honoured to be President of this fine organisation that has given so much to my family.

CEO's Report

Scott Wright, Chief Executive Officer

May 2024 was a big month for the Angus breed and the society, with our staff connecting with members across the country at various workshops, Beef Australia, the AGM in Albury and our flagship youth event GenAngus Future Leaders Program in Christchurch, NZ.

Firstly, welcome to our new President Sinclair Munro. I have thoroughly enjoyed the first few weeks of working with Sinclair, and I am confident he will continue to provide the leadership in the Angus breed that we have become accustomed to, following the superb work of Erica Halliday and Sam White during my tenure, and the excellent leaders of years past.

We also welcome new board members Simon Falkiner and Ed Archer. The Angus board has a great culture, andI look forward to Simon and Ed adding to the collective wisdom. I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Perry Gunner, Hamish McFarlane and Jock Hughes for their service to the board and assistance to myself personally in my first years as CEO.

Our Angus industry faces both new challenges and new opportunities during the remainder of 2024 and beyond. I believe we have the right team in place both at a strategic board level and at a management operational level to work through the times ahead and provide a continued and prosperous future for the Angus breed.

Dry Conditions in the South I would like to acknowledge the difficult seasonal conditions faced by some of our southern members. I know for many this autumn was one of the driest on record, and it has caused significant difficulty. Please get in touch with us at Angus Australia if there are particular issues that we can assist with.

Beef Australia

As a society, Beef Australia is one of our flagship events, and we invest substantial funds and resources into this event to make it a success. Beef gives us the ability to connect with many existing members and also form new relationships, particularly with central and north Queensland beef producers. A particular focus was our Northern Seminar at Beef Australia. This year we had three guests: Ian Maclean, Ben Noller and Troy Setter. All three speakers articulated the role the Angus Breed plays in contributing to improving the profitability of northern beef herds.

Angus Australia hosted another successful “Angus drinks” sponsored by Achmea Australia, which was well attended by over 200 people. QLD Angus had a successful tent highlighting the strength of our QLD

producers. The Angus Australia staff, members and directors contributed to Beef in a range of ways, including the Angus Australia launch of our UltraSELECT genetic analysis for Ultrablack animals. In an historic first, the Angus breed took out an Interbreed award at Beef Australia for the first time, while also being the first team from a British breed to win the Interbreed Exhibitors Group award. Pine Creek Angus Stud, Cowra NSW were awarded the honours and I congratulate the Fuller family. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to once again make Beef Australia successful for the Angus breed.

UltraSELECT

As previously mentioned, Angus Australia launched Ultra SELECT at Beef Australia. Thank you to Christian Duff and his team, who worked very hard with Dr Darrell Wilkes from International Brangus Breeders Association to get this evaluation over the line. The UltraSELECT evaluation will enable our members who produce UltraBlack animals to evaluate their animals against animals from North America. We know that for a group of members, the market for these cattle is growing fast, and until now the genetic evaluation tools to make the best breeding decisions have been limited. We look forward to members using the tools and giving feedback to the team.

Consultative Committees

Three consultative committees are about to commence with “new look” teams. The Genetic Improvement Consultative Committee, the ASBP Consultative Committee and the Northern Development

Consultative Committee will all have their first meetings within weeks of writing this brief. Thank you to all the members who give up their time voluntarily to assist and provide the board and management with valuable insights! I do endeavor to attend all meetings, and will particularly take a more active role in the Northern Development Consultative meetings. I see this as very important as our breed continues to push into new beef systems and areas.

GenAngus Future Leaders Program

If anyone is concerned about the future leadership of the Angus breed, I would encourage them to look no further than the latest cohort of the GenAngus Future Leaders Program (GenAngus). The GenAngus program is such a delight to attend and be a part of. The quality of these young people is incredible, the speakers were challenging, and I am sure each person left GenAngus with a renewed vigour and vision for their own career and businesses. I sincerely thank Nancy Crawshaw for making the event a huge success - building on past wins and climbing to new heights! I’m not quite sure how Nancy managed to arrange former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry to come and sit with the group and speak plainly, but it was certainly a huge highlight!

AGM and May Board Meeting

On the 22nd of May the Angus Australia AGM was held in Albury, NSW. It was a full day that comprised of an Export Readiness Workshop for members, a session with our Extension team and the AGM and drinks in the afternoon. Thank you to all who attended: it was a great occasion and a delight for outgoing President Erica

L-R: Hanlie Jansen, Tam and Roger Boshammer, Warren Salter, Sinclair Munro and Scott Wright at Beef Australia

Halliday to present several significant membership awards, including a 75-year membership award to the Archer family and the Whyatt Thompson trophy to Texas Angus. Leawood Angus reached 75 years of membership and the award was accepted by Luke Stuckey at GenAngus.

The board had a full agenda for their meeting, as is always the case. Particular items discussed included future changes to the way genomic services are marketed, the World Angus Forum budget and an independent staff sentiment survey which was recently conducted. The board also appointed Ed Archer to the position of Director representing Tasmania.

NSW Angus Seminar

I would like to thank NSW Angus for hosting a seminar in Orange in the last week. This was well attended, with excellent speakers, a very pleasant dinner on the Friday night and a farm walk to Dalwhinnie Angus and Gilmandyke Angus.

Thanks to both studs for putting cattle on display and being wonderful hosts.

Upcoming events

As a society we do represent the breed widely. In the coming weeks I will be attending a QLD Angus event at Ag Grow Emerald. This is a great initiative of the QLD group to connect with bull buyers in central QLD and promote the use of Angus genetics in Bos Indicus cow herds.

2025 Neogen World Angus Forum

Angus Australia continues to plan for the 2025 Neogen World Angus Forum in May 2025. There is no other way to put it - WAF 2025 will be the largest opportunity to showcase Australian genetics in a generation to international buyers. The program is amazing, with two huge events - a live cattle exhibition at AELEC in Tamworth, and the Technical Forum in Brisbane. This is combined with pre and post tours, as well as an amazing

Youth program with a significant Youth competition. You will see information being released for the various programs from July. The Forum will also be promoted this year at both the European Angus Forum and American Angus Convention in order to maximise attendance from both continents.

As always, I try to attend as many events and affiliated group meetings as possible. Please reach out at any stage if you have questions or queries to scott.wright@ angusaustralia.com.au. To those members who have upcoming sales, we wish you every success.

VEZINA BEEF AD MAY24

Image: Ben Noller, Palgrove, CEO Scott Wright, Dr Darrell Wilkes IBBA and General Manager - Genetic Improvement, Christian Duff

Sinclair Munro takes the reins on Angus Australia Board

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Sinclair Munro has recently been announced as the latest in a long line of Angus breeders committing to the continued betterment and governance of Angus Australia, taking on the position of President and Chairperson on the society’s Board of Directors.

Mr Munro was appointed as President at the recent Angus Australia Board Meeting, held in Albury, NSW on Thursday, May 23rd, taking the reins from outgoing President Erica Halliday.

Mr Munro is a fifth generation cattle breeder hailing from Bingara, NSW, where he and his family operate Booroomooka Angus. The beginnings of Booroomooka Angus were founded in 1926 and now consists of 4,500 Angus commercial and seedstock cattle, selling up to 200 bulls at sale each year.

Mr Munro does not stand as the first Angus Australia president within his family, with both his father and grandfather past presidents over the history of the society.

Mr Munro will be supported by newly appointed incoming Vice-President Peter Collins, Merridale Angus, Tennyson, VIC.

“I'm very proud to be voted President of Angus Australia, and I hope I'm able to

and our two new directors, Simon Falkiner and Ed Archer. We have a very insightful top board of nine people.

contribute well as a President,” said Mr Murno. “I welcome Peter Collins as Vice President

“I'm very keen to work with the CEO, Scott Wright, and the management with our vision, Angus for Every System. Our mission really is to maximise the sustainability of members through innovation and service.

“In order to increase the profit of our members, our core business is to provide and improve genetic improvement tools for our members to use. We also work to ensure market-based Angus premiums and to create efficiency in member services and IT.”

He continued, “2025 will be a massive year with the World Angus Forum to be held in May. It is also the time that we need to have increased collaboration with other Angus breed societies around the world. Most importantly are our people in our society. We need to continue to attract, develop, and retain talented staff, and continue to encourage member engagement through affiliated groups and consultative committees.

“Most importantly, as Angus producers, we need to interact with our customers, identify their needs, and satisfy their requirements.”

Outgoing President Erica Halliday had some parting words for members at the close of her tenure, “I’d thank the Board as a whole. There are some really meaty issues that we've got into in the last two years, and I knew that the brilliant brains around that room would solve that.”

“It's been an absolute honour to lead that process. My job has been made easier by the very exceptional people that work at Angus Australia, and they have a common vision and a love for the breed and respect for the members,” she said.

“Lastly, I'd like to thank Scott because he epitomises that genuine love for the breed and respect for people.

“It's been one of the greatest privileges of my life to work with Scott and the team. I'd also like to thank anyone that's been on any consultative committee or state group. Keep it up, keep involved. If you want to be on the board, put your hand up. It's the most amazing experience.”

Left: Angus Australia CEO Scott Wright, with President, Sinclair Munro and Vice President, Peter Collins, right: Keith Howe, Managing Director, Rangers Valley with President Sinclair Munro

Sinclair is a fifth-generation cattle breeder hailing from Bingara, NSW, where he and his family operate Booroomooka Angus.

Podca Behind the Beef

Genetic Gains: Enhancing Technology Adoption Across the Angus Genetic Improvement Pipeline

Jake Phillips, Extension Manager

In the competitive world of cattle breeding, innovation and technology are crucial to staying ahead.

From 2018 - 2022, a project, "Enhancing Technology Adoption Across the Angus Genetic Improvement Pipeline," has been driving significant advancements in Angus and Angus-influenced cattle breeding across Australia. The initiative, a collaboration between Meat and Livestock Australia Donor Company (MDC) and Angus Australia, has not only met but exceeded its goals, promising a bright future for the beef industry.

Aiming High: The Project's Goals

The project had a clear and comprehensive set of objectives:

1. Educational Empowerment: Develop and deliver educational programs to help breeders understand the immense benefits of genetic improvement.

2. Innovative Tools: Create and implement decision support tools for better breeding decisions.

3. Proof-of-Concept: Conduct analyses to showcase the benefits of genetic improvement, especially for new traits.

4. Northern Support: Aid breeders in Northern Australia with adapted and improved Angus genetics.

5. Skill Development: Enhance the capabilities of young breeders through collective learning focused on commercial beef production.

6. Stakeholder Engagement: Establish effective consultative processes to address industry needs.

7. Quantitative Surveys: Measure practice and attitude changes resulting from education and extension investments.

Remarkable Achievements and Industry Impact

The project's success is evident in its impressive results:

KPI

Annual rate of genetic improvement in net profitability (per annum)

The project has not only increased the annual rate of genetic improvement by 12.3%, but it has also ensured significant knowledge transfer, skill development, and practice change within the Angus breeding community. These advancements translate into a projected additional genetic gain valued at $38.4 million by 2032 and an astounding $200.1 million by 2052 for the Angus-influenced beef value chain.

Shaping the Future: Recommendations

and Continued Investment

To sustain and further enhance these gains, the project emphasizes the need for ongoing investment in extension methods and technology adoption. Key recommendations include:

Education and Extension Through Breed Societies: Utilizing trusted sources to provide information and support.

Specialty Programs for Specific Groups: Tailored extension programs for seedstock producers, commercial producers, and key industry stakeholders such as stock agents or young members.

Catalyst for Broader Industry Information: Breed societies should act as information hubs for the broader beef

industry beyond their regular member base.

Advancing Angus: Extension campaigns hit home

The Angus cattle industry in Australia has experienced significant advancements in genetic improvement thanks to a series of targeted workshops, advisory sessions, and innovative online events spearheaded by Angus Australia.

These initiatives have played a crucial role in enhancing knowledge, fostering practice change, and driving genetic improvement within the Australian Angus herd.

Here are some of the various activities and their outcomes.

Southern Service Provider Workshops

A key highlight has been the five Southern Service Provider workshops held in Southern Australia. These workshops aimed to keep genetics and service providers abreast of the latest developments in Angus Australia’s programs, including Breed Development and Strategic Projects.

· Goal: 5 workshops

· Achieved: 5 workshops

Attendees: 84

· Average Value Rating: 9.2

Average Likelihood for Practice Change: 8.65

One-on-One Advisory Sessions

Despite significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 61 personalized advisory sessions were conducted. These sessions were pivotal in increasing understanding and encouraging genetic improvement practices among influential seedstock breeders across Australia.

Goal: 150 sessions

Achieved: 61 sessions

· Average Value Rating: 9.2

Average Likelihood for Practice Change: 8.8

Online Events

General Online Events

Angus Australia adapted swiftly to the pandemic by hosting 23 online events. These events focused on disseminating the latest research outcomes and upcoming enhancements to the TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation.

Goal: 5 workshops

· Achieved: 23 workshops

Online Attendees: 2,349

Online Views: 10,533

· Average Value Rating: 7.9

Average Likelihood for Practice Change: 7.64

Selection Intensity – Semen Sires

Five Spring Bull Night events were held online, aimed at raising awareness of available Angus bulls and enhancing selection intensity within breeding programs.

· Goal: 5 events

Achieved: 5 events

Online Views: 12,200

· Average Value Rating: 7.2

Average Likelihood for Practice Change: 8.3

Educational Modules

The Angus Education Centre saw the release of 11 new learning modules, surpassing the initial goal of 10. These modules cover a range of topics from genetic conditions in Angus cattle to best practices for performance recording.

Average Views per Year: 55,000 unique views

Communication and Extension Campaigns

Angus Australia’s communication efforts led to a significant growth in engagement, with over 280 campaigns across social media platforms, doubling our follower base.

Goal: 200 campaigns

· Achieved: 280 campaigns

Result: More than 100% increase in social media followers

External Presentations and Staff Training

Ten external presentations and 16 staff training sessions were conducted, exceeding the original goals. These efforts have been instrumental in spreading knowledge about new breeding and genetic technologies.

Goal for Presentations: 5

· Achieved: 10

Goal for Staff Training Sessions: 5

· Achieved: 16

New Printed Resources

Sixteen new printed educational resources were developed, well beyond the target of 4. These resources address various aspects of genetic improvement and performance recording.

Member Enquiries and Support

The project also excelled in resolving member enquiries, addressing 1,512 queries related to genetic improvement, surpassing the goal of 1,000.

Decision Support Tools

Innovative decision support tools have been a cornerstone of the project.

The AngusSELECT suite, including tools like SaleSELECT and SemenSELECT, has been expanded with 15 new features, exceeding the goal of 10. These tools assist breeders in making informed breeding decisions.

· Angus Mating Predictor: Helps estimate the genetic outcomes of mating combinations, with over 5,000 scenarios evaluated monthly.

Angus Mobile App: Provides a convenient database search tool for use in the field.

The comprehensive suite of workshops, advisory sessions, online events, and educational resources developed by Angus Australia has significantly advanced the genetic improvement of Angus cattle. These initiatives have not only increased knowledge and skills among breeders but have also led to measurable improvements in breeding practices, promising a prosperous future for the Angus cattle industry in Australia.

What they said: The Beef Breeding Stakeholder Survey

The Beef Breeding Stakeholder Survey, conducted over the past four years, offers a revealing look into the evolving practices of cattle breeders. With a particular focus on the use of genetic information and its impact on breeding decisions, the study sheds light on self-assessed genetic knowledge, the importance of Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), and the perspectives of cattle producers, especially within Angus Australia. This survey also explores the role of EBVs in cattle production outcomes and the preferred sources of information influencing breeders' decisions.

Self-Rated Genetic Knowledge

1. Steadfast Knowledge Levels: Producers' self-assessment of genetic knowledge has remained largely consistent over the past four years. Notably, there has been a slight increase in the proportion

of participants rating their knowledge as 9 or 10 out of 10, rising from 25% in 2019 to 28% in 2023. This suggests a steady confidence in genetic understanding among breeders.

2. Knowledge Enhancement Trends:

A significant 68% of respondents reported an improvement in their understanding of genetics over the past five years. Angus Australia members showed an even higher rate of knowledge growth at 75%. This trend spans across various age groups and experience levels in cattle production. Notably, 35% of producers who improved their genetic knowledge had attended an Angus Australia event or accessed its resources. Half of these producers made changes to their bull selection or breeding decisions based on this new knowledge.

Importance of Selection Criteria and EBVs

3. Key Selection Criteria: The survey identified temperament as the most highly rated selection criterion, scoring 9.3 out of 10. This was followed by visual appraisal, polledness, BULLCHECK, genetic conditions, coat colour, and EBVs.

4. EBVs in Bull Selection: The role of EBVs in bull selection has grown, with 60% of producers consistently considering them in their selection criteria. Among Angus Australia members, this figure jumps to 79%, underscoring the importance of EBVs in making informed breeding decisions.

5. Increased Utilization of EBVs: Compared to five years ago, 46% of survey respondents reported increased use of EBVs, while 52% maintained a consistent level of usage. This shift highlights a growing recognition of EBVs' value in improving breeding outcomes.

Impact of EBVs and Breeding Outcomes

6. Positive Impact on Businesses: A significant 64% of respondents noted that EBVs had positively impacted their cattle businesses. This figure was slightly higher among Angus Australia members at 69%, compared to 62% among other breed society members.

7. Range of Benefits: Producers reported various benefits from incorporating EBVs, including increased calving ease (46%), higher average weaning weights (26%), improved market compliance (16%), enhanced growth rates (12%), lower birth weights (11%), and better temperament (10%).

8. Key EBVs for Selection: The top five EBVs identified as crucial for selection criteria included temperament, Intramuscular Fat (IMF), 400-day weight, Eye Muscle Area (EMA), and Milk.

Sources of Knowledge and Learning Preferences

9. Primary Sources of EBV & Technology Knowledge: Producers predominantly gained EBV knowledge from industry sources (32%), independent research (27%), and work experience (17%). Angus Australia information, catalogues, workshops/seminars, and online content also played significant roles.

10. Role of Angus Australia: Angus Australia emerged as a valuable source of EBV information, particularly for its members (27%) and other breed society members (14%). Conversations with key industry figures were the most influential source among Angus Australia members (32%).

Selection Indexes and Technological Adoption

11. Selection Indexes and Utilization: Selection indexes were used sometimes by 39% of respondents and always by 31%, with higher utilization among Angus Australia members at 40% and 41%, respectively. Additionally, 43% of respondents reported using selection indexes more frequently than five years ago.

12. AngusONLINE Adoption: About 34% of producers utilized the AngusONLINE suite of tools, with increased usage reported by 58% of users. This adoption was notably higher in southern states, indicating its positive reception and impact.

Catalyst for Change

The survey presents a detailed analysis of producers' attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes related to knowledge acquisition, adoption of new practices, and the impact on cattle production over the four-year period from 2019 to 2023.

1. Growing Willingness for Change: An impressive 97% of respondents expressed readiness to make changes to their farming practices after gaining new knowledge or skills, up from 87% in 2019. This indicates a significant openness to innovation and adaptation within the industry.

2. Key Information Sources: Producers predominantly sought information from peers and industry experts, with popular sources including other farmers neighbors (56%), bull breeders (52%), and breed societies (52%). Angus Australia was a primary source for 83% of its members.

3. Perceived Value of Sources: Bull breeders and breed societies were rated as the most valuable sources of information, each scoring 4.2 out of 5.

4. Participation in Angus Australia Events and Resources: Around 30% of respondents attended Angus Australia

events or used its resources over the past five years, with higher participation in New South Wales (36%) and Victoria (39%).

5. Impact of Angus Australia Interaction: Of hose who engaged with Angus Australia, 47% reported implementing changes to their bull selection and breeding decisions, with 34% highlighting increased utilization and understanding of EBVs.

6. Resulting Impact on Productivity and Profitability: Changes from Angus Australia interactions led to improved breeding outcomes (24%), better quality animals (19%), and enhanced productivity and profitability (19%).

7. Catalytic Role of Angus Australia: A significant 47% of respondents believed that changes in their practices would not have occurred without Angus Australia events or resources.

8. Effective Learning Preferences: Producers preferred personalized learning experiences, with one-on-one discussions rated highest (4.1 out of 5), followed by reading materials (3.9), farm walks (3.6), and informal group discussions (3.3).

The survey response highlights a growing enthusiasm for change among cattle producers, emphasizing the importance of improving genetic knowledge and bull selection practices. Angus Australia's role as

a key source of information and catalyst for positive changes in the industry is evident.

Conclusion

The "Enhancing Technology Adoption Across the Angus Genetic Improvement Pipeline" project stands as a testament to the power of strategic collaboration and innovation. By effectively combining education, innovative tools, and industry engagement, it has set a new standard for genetic improvement in cattle breeding. As the beef industry continues to evolve, the lessons and successes from this project will undoubtedly serve as a blueprint for future advancements, ensuring Australia remains at the forefront of global cattle breeding excellence.

Consultative Committee Members Announced

Angus Australia has announced the member composition of three Consultative Committees for the next 2-year term. This includes the Genetic Evaluation, Angus Sire Benchmarking Program and Northern Development Consultative Committees.

Scott Wright, CEO of Angus Australia explains, “Consultative committees are an important feature of Angus Australia. They provide a valued mechanism to obtain structured feedback and suggestions from Angus Australia members specifically directed to Board, management and staff.”

Genetic Evaluation Consultative Committee

The Genetic Evaluation Consultative Committee provides a forum for consultation between users of Angus Australia’s genetic evaluation services and the Angus Australia Board of Directors and management team. Importantly, the committee communicates the views and requirements of dedicated users of the TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation (TACE) in relation to the operations, implementation of enhancements and future developments, along with views on related extension and education activities.

Christian Duff, General Manager Genetic Improvement looks forward to working with the committee over the next two years and explained how overwhelmed Angus Australia was with the number and calibre of members who expressed an interest in being on the committee.

“The appointed committee has broad experience and knowledge in the breeding of Angus cattle, and their feedback will be of great value in improving the genetic evaluation services that are available to both seedstock and commercial Angus breeders in Australia,” Mr Duff said.

“For continuity it is great to see our returning committee members, as well as four new additions.”

Angus Sire Benchmarking Program Consultative Committee

The Angus Sire Benchmarking Program (ASBP) Consultative Committee has a purpose to provide guidance to the Angus Australia Board of Directors and management team in developing policies, strategies and plan related to ASBP. The committee focusses on reviewing the overall operations and progress of the ASBP and, where required, provide recommendations to the Board. They also provide feedback on ASBP related proposals for consideration by the Board.

Liam Mowbray, R&D Specialist, is eager to work with committee over the next two years.

Genetic Evaluation Consultative Committee

ANGUS SIRE BENCHMARKING PROGRAM CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

Frank Archer (Chair) Landfall Angus, Tasmania

Steve Chase (Chair) Waitara Angus New South Wales

Tim Vincent (Chair) Booragul Angus, New South Wales

Ruth Corrigan Rennylea, New South Wales

Lindsay Wolrige Esslemont Angus, Western Australia

Sean Wright Spartan Livestock, Queensland

Jodie Foster Boonaroo Angus, Victoria

Chis McIlroy Agrigene New South Wales

Nathan Mura Cannington Station, Queensland

Fletch Kelly, ABS and NHIA Beef Group Representative

Will Schmidt Rangers Valley New South Wales

Warren Salter U8J Cattle Co, Queensland

Julian Carroll Stellar Angus, Victoria

James Stephens Charles Sturt University, NSW

Ben Mayne Texas Angus, New South Wales

Mandy Wales Alloura Angus, NSW & TAS

Lex Gandy Gandy Angus, Western Australia

Jon Gaffney Graneta Angus, Queensland

Ross Thompson Millah Murrah Angus New South Wales

Bryan Bendall Seven Hills New Zealand

Tim Schmaling Exton Angus, Queensland

Ed Bradley Hazeldean Angus, New South Wales

Keith Howe Rangers Valley New South Wales

Lori Fogarty Lucy Creek Station, Northern Territory

Tom Lawson Paringa Livestock, Victoria

Sarah Day MLA representative New South Wales

Daniel Absolom Rissington Angus, New Zealand

“We are excited to work with our committee and meeting the objectives of the ASBP program, which continues to focus on measuring hard-to-measure phenotypes and genotypes for the Angus Australia reference population, underpinning our genetic evaluation system,” Mr Mowbray said.

Images: Both the ASBP Consultative Committee (top) and Northern Development Consultative Committee recently met.

Northern Development Consultative Committee

The Northern Development Consultative Committee is a mechanism to seek member feedback to guide Angus Australia’s overall Northern Development program. It also assists though monitoring activity, progress and results from related initiatives.

Scott Wright, CEO, says “Angus Australia is looking forward to working with the new, expanded committee to refine the focus of Angus Australia’s Northen Development program.”

“We are confident that further use of Angus and Angus influenced genetics in Northern Australia will benefit Angus Australia members and the whole beef industry. Feedback from this committee will ensure we stay focussed on this pursuit,” Mr Wright added.

FRIDAY 30TH AUGUST 2024 1PM

INSPECTION DAY

WEDNESDAY 28TH AUGUST 2024 10AM-4PM

“COOLOWIE” 2208 EULOURIE RD PALLAL NSW 2404

BLOODLINES INCLUDING;

Millah Murrah Parratrooper

Millah Murrah Rocketman

Millah Murrah Nectar Moogenilla Quinella

Transport for stock carriers and trailers

Surefoot for rotary upgrades and new

SureCushion® Pit for comfort and security

Surefoot ® Dairy for yards and lead ups

Surefoot ® Silage for silage containment

Membership Awards presented at AGM

Diana Wood, Marketing & Communications

The recent Annual General Meeting of Angus Australia in Albury NSW saw a significant number of membership milestones recognised, with outgoing President, Erica Halliday making the presentations.

Landfall Angus, Launceston Tasmania and GH & JM Stuckey, Leawood Angus, Flynn Victoria were acknowledged for reaching 75 years of membership of Angus Australia.

The 50 years membership awards acknowledged from 2023 included:

Margaret Beck

BP & BF Grubb

· RT & BM Grigg, Bos Taurus

Weerangourt Partnership, Weeran

· Michael Hopkins, Tignabruich

A further 34 members were also acknowledged for their 25 years of membership in 2023.

The 50 years membership awards acknowledged from 2024 included:

· Colin Murdoch, Jincumbilly

Peter Quilty, Brungle

Rowle & Barbara Hull, Robar

· Peter Hoodless, Jingellic

Roger Boshammer, Glenoch

· George Mills, Panshanger

Fiona Conroy, Knewleave

John Chapman, Cooinbil Park

A further 64 members were also acknowledged for their 25 years of membership in 2024.

Ed Archer was in attendance and accepted the 75 year award in behalf of his family.

‘We really tried to encourage dad to come and collect this award with mum but he's very determined these days to get as many jobs ticked off his list as he can.’

‘He would have enjoyed coming here and there are a lot of faces here that he's been in a friendship with for a long time. Dad’s always enjoyed spending time with fellow cattle breeders.’

‘Thank you very much for this. We've been very fortunate that the generations before have successfully put together a great cow herd, and we've been able to continue with that. We've been fortunate to have a lot of great people around us and continue to grow the business, and the future is looking great.’

Michael Hopkins was also present at the AGM to collect his 50 years membership award and was very honoured to be at the AGM and receive his award from Erica.

While Luke Stuckey received the Leawood award on behalf of his family during the 2024 GenAngus Future Leaders Program formal dinner from current President Sinclair Munro.

Ben and Wendy Mayne from Texas Angus were also acknowledged during the AGM with the presentation of the Wyatt Thompson Trophy for Breeder of the new Australian record priced Angus bull sold at Auction, with Texas Thunderstruck T383 selling for $360,000 – on July 27th 2023 when purchased by Macka’s Pastoral

Images, top to bottom: Scott Wright, Erica Halliday & Ed Archer, Luke Stuckey, Sinclair Munro & Scott Wright, Scott Wright, Erica Halliday & Michael Hopkins, Scott Wright, Erica Halliday & Wendy and Ben Mayne

● Tasmania was the $136,000 high selling bull in the 2023 Pathfinder Angus QLD bull sale and was highly sought after by a number of prominent innovative Angus breeders.

● No other bull combines such a low birth weight with superior growth and elite carcase merit as Tasmania. With an excellent phenotype, muscle pattern, structure and great feet and legs, Tasmania is a go-to bull.

ASBP Cohort 15 Bull Nominations OPEN

Be part of cutting-edge innovation, research and genetic benchmarking!

The joining program will commence in September 2024 and will involve approximately 1800 Angus breeders across several Australian co-operator Angus cow herds.

The benefits of bulls entering the ASBP include:

Be involved in world-leading research in areas such as methane emissions phenotyping, development of genomic tools, new meat quality traits and understanding resilience traits like immune competence.

· Develop close genetic linkage to the Angus Australia genomics reference population ensuring research and genetic evaluation outcomes will be highly relevant to your herd.

· Receive high accuracy EBVs (Estimated Breeding Values), particularly for hard to measure traits such as abattoir carcase data, female reproduction, and feed intake.

· Receive progeny average values and sire rankings from within the ASBP, including traits such as MSA (Meat Standards Australia) Index.

· Be involved in one of Australia’s most comprehensive and long-running genomic reference population programs, including high-quality data and large contemporary groups.

Approximately 30 Angus bulls will be selected for the 2024 joining program with the aim to join each bull to at least 50 cows by fixed time AI. The bull selection criteria will be based on genetic diversity, breeding values, selection indexes, and their relationship to sires already used in the ASBP.

Nominations will be open from now through until Thursday the 1st of August 2024.

For further details on the ASBP and to nominate bulls for Cohort 15 visit the ASBP

page on the Angus Australia website www. angusaustralia.com.au

Nominations will be open until Thursday the 1st of August 2024. Strictly no late nominations will be accepted.

Key Steps:

· Step 1 – Nominate bull(s) via the online form by early August.

· Step 2 – Breeders of successful nominations will be contacted by the 9th August, provided with a Bull Owners agreement for signing, Veterinary and Health Declaration form and semen requested.

Step 3 – Bull owners organise semen (100 straws) to be delivered to Agri Gene, Wangaratta, VIC by the end of August. All semen will undergo independent quality checks at this stage. Some key items to consider which need to be organised prior to semen collection and entry into the ASBP:

· All ASBP sires must be tested negative for BVDV (aka Pestivirus) persistent infection (PI).

All ASBP sires must be up to date for Leptospirosis and Bovine Venereal Campylobacteriosis (Vibriosis vaccination prior to semen collection.

· AI sires born after 01/01/2018 must be tested ‘free’ for all 9 Genetic Conditions, as per section 6.24 of the Angus Australia Regulations.

Entry Fee

All bulls that enter the ASBP joining program will attract an entry fee of $2,500 (plus GST).

Contact

If you have any questions in relation to the nomination process or the ASBP in general please contact please contact Dr Liam Mowbray, Research & Development Specialist, on 0436406140 or email liam. mowbray@angusaustralia.com.au.

Nominations are now open for bulls to be considered for the next round of the Angus Sire Benchmarking program (ASBP) to produce the Cohort 15 progeny.

Dr Liam Mowbray, R&D Specialist

2025 NEOGEN WORLD ANGUS FORUM IN AUSTRALIA!

Welcome Function In Sydney

Renowned for its stunning harbour setting, temperate climate, and world class restaurants

AngusTREK Brought to you by Zoetis

An unforgettable adventure that unveils the vast and diverse landscapes of this extraordinary continent, with a variety of experiences including visits to Angus properties and local attractions.

AngusEXPO, Tamworth Brought to you by Zoetis

The largest gathering of Angus cattle in Australia

Neogen World Angus Forum in Brisbane

A modern, dynamic and vibrant city with direct access to Australia’s top tourist attractions, with a stunning riverfront and a world-class dining scene

Post tour - Queensland

Renowned for its beef industry and vast picturesque landscapes

ZOETIS WORLD YOUTH COMPETITION

With Angus Youth teams from around the world competing throughout the forum to be crowned the champions of the Angus world

7 - 8 MAY 25

Neogen joining the World Angus Forum as naming rights sponsor

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

The anticipation has well and truly set in for the 2025 World Angus Forum, and on board to bring the event to life is naming rights sponsor Neogen, who will partner with Angus Australia in gathering Angus enthusiasts from around the world in Australia.

The Neogen World Angus Forum is heading to Brisbane, Australia on the 7th – 8th May 2025. Cattle breeders, Angus enthusiasts, and beef industry professionals from every corner of the globe are invited to converge in Australia for this extraordinary event.

With a theme of ‘Beef for a Better Planet’, the Neogen World Angus Forum will be a global celebration of Angus and an insight into the latest technology, genetics, and innovation.

The event will showcase the highest quality beef run sustainably in some of the harshest environments and explore the concepts and challenges of the Australian Beef Industry’s quest for Carbon Neutral 2030.

“I'm delighted to announce a partnership with Neogen for the World Angus Forum and am very excited to have Neogen on board as our naming rights sponsor,” said Angus Australia CEO Scott Wright.

“We've less than 12 months to go until the World Angus Forum and will be hosting the event for the first time in 25 years.”

He continued, “Neogen are a great collaborator with Angus Australia. We do lots of work together, and this is another opportunity to push the industry forward.

“We're very thankful for the sponsorship as it means that we can put on a great event. We're expecting over a thousand delegates from 26 Angus producing countries.

Neogen have a worldwide reach, so the international team will be involved, and it is a great opportunity to showcase Angus genetics worldwide.”

Neogen operates Australia’s largest livestock genomics laboratory, providing a range of customised genomic solutions for Angus breeders including AngusGS

and HeiferSelect. With a network of labs around the globe, Neogen has been long term supporters of Angus breeders both in Australia and around the world.

“Neogen is a big supporter of Angus Australia and the Angus breed globally,” said Neogen Genomics Sales Manager Hannah Bourke.

“For us, this collaboration and partnership with Angus Australia for the World Angus Forum just made perfect sense for both their organisation and our organisation.

“We're really looking forward to what the next 12 months have to bring, and then the actual event itself.”

An exciting program is being developed for the Neogen World Angus Forum spanning two weeks, including an initial reception on the Harbour in Sydney, followed by a pre-forum tour with farm visits and tourist destinations on the itinerary.

The tour will see delegates land in Tamworth for what is anticipated to be

the largest gathering of Angus cattle in Australia, as we host a two-day Angus Expo at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC). Returning for 2025 will also be the highly anticipated World Angus Forum Youth Competition. From Tamworth the tour will continue north and finish up in Brisbane for the of ficial World Angus Forum event, where speakers who are experts in their field will be invited to present at the Brisbane Entertainment and Convention Centre. Updates regarding the Neogen World Angus Forum are available via the Neogen World Angus Forum website and social media channels.

For more information, please contact Angus Australia CEO Scott Wright at scott. wright@angusaustralia.com.au or on (02)

Hannah Bourke, Neogen and Scott Wright, Angus Australia

Ticket sales are coming for the 2025 Neogen World Angus Forum

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Angus Australia is pleased to announce that early bird tickets will be available for the much-anticipated 2025 Neogen World Angus Forum in mid July.

The time is almost here for delegates from around the world to book their opportunity to attend this amazing and innovative event, showcasing the use of Angus genetics around Australia.

Marking the first time the World Angus Forum has returned to Australian shores in nearly 30 years, the 2025 event will showcase the highest quality beef run sustainably in some of the harshest environments and will explore the concepts and challenges of the Australian Beef Industry’s quest for Carbon Neutral 2030.

“We are beyond pleased to have tickets now available for purchase for the upcoming 2025 Neogen World Angus Forum,” said Angus Australia CEO Scott Wright.

“As CEO, and on behalf of the Organising Committee of the 2025 Neogen World Angus Forum, we invite cattle breeders, Angus enthusiasts, and beef industry professionals from every corner of the globe to converge in Australia for this extraordinary event.

“The 2025 Neogen World Angus Forum provides a unique opportunity for Angus breeders and industry professionals to come together to learn from one another and to share their passion for this iconic breed. It also plays an important role in promoting the Angus breed globally and in advancing the knowledge and understanding of cattle breeding and management.”

Tickets can be purchased by visiting www. worldangusfroum.com.au.

The first 300 tickets are available at discounted rate, so get in while it is hot! The first 150 tickets sold will also include The Gallery Breakfast with Guest Speaker.

What’s in store

AngusTREK brought to you by Zoetis 29 April - 6 May 2025

Kicking off in Sydney on April 29th, 2025, the Forum will commence with a welcome cruise on Sydney Harbour, considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful natural harbours, famed for its sparkling water and iconic sights.

Following the official opening of the event, delegates will begin the AngusTREK, heading towards Orange in the New South Wales central tablelands with a stop at Sunny Point Pastoral Co for a commercial tour. This is a family operated integrated business of approximately 3,000 acres and a self-replacing Angus herd of approximately 700 breeders. Sunny Point Pastoral Co is a paddock to plate operation, through the sale of meat at the family’s Mawhood's IGA supermarkets. They also supply local independent butchers and supermarkets. Once arriving in Orange, the group will head to the family-owned Swinging Bridge Cellar Door on the slopes of Mount Canobolas, for late afternoon drinks and canapes dinner. Day three of AngusTREK heads to Bathurst with a visit to Karoo Angus – a family owned and operated business. The Karoo cow herd consists of approximately 300 registered Angus females and 800 commercial females. Karoo has been

associated with the Angus seedstock industry for over 30 years. The afternoon and evening will be spent at Millah Murrah Angus. This family owned and operated business has a suite of sales records – since 2011 Millah Murrah has raised the breed average bull price record eight times. A key component of their breeding approach is a commitment to live inspection of every sire used in the herd. Day four the tour heads to Tamworth, NSW by way of the picturesque Hunter Valley. Stopping at the Two River Winery and a horse stud owned by Darley, a global thoroughbred stallion operation, which currently stands stallions in 6 countries throughout the world, the day will finish up with a cocktail function at the historical Goonoo Goonoo Station.

The Zoetis AngusEXPO 3 – 4 May

The Zoetis AngusEXPO will take place days five and six of AngusTREK and is open to everyone – not just tour guests. The Zoetis AngusEXPO is anticipated to be the largest gathering of Angus Cattle in Australia and will be held at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC). During this two-day Expo presented by Zoetis, there will be a massive Zoetis World Angus Forum Youth Competition with participants not only from Team Australia, but from teams representing Angus from around the world. Running alongside the Youth Competition will be other events and plenty of retail and exhibition sites on display. There will be the excitement of a Campdraft competition, the Female Genetics Auction, a must-see BBQ competition and the perfect showcase for members of Angus Australia to bring cattle to Tamworth and have them on display for international and Australian guests.

Day seven of AngusTREK will journey north through the New England region. Near Guyra, AngusTREK will visit Bald Blair Angus where the owners – Sam & Kirsty White - are the third generation of the White family to run the Bald Blair Angus herd. The Bald Blair Angus Herd was one of the original herds when the Angus Society of Australia was formed in 1919. The White family has been selling bulls at an on-property auction for just over 50 years continuously and they remain committed to the ongoing improvement of their Angus Herd, using sound stockmanship and all available technologies to assist in modern day demands now placed on livestock production.

Continuing the journey further north, AngusTREK will visit Rangers Valley Feedlot – one of the world’s most respected premium marbled beef producers. The feedlot specialises in long fed pure Black Angus and Wagyu cross breeds –producing exceptional marbled beef for both the domestic and export markets. After enjoying lunch with the feedlot hosts, the journey continues further north into Queensland – the sunshine state. Rounding out the day is a visit to the Ced Wise ET Centre and Commercial Farm where there will be a tour followed by dinner.

The eighth and final day of the pre tour takes delegates through to Brisbane with a stop at Echo Valley Farm, which is located in the Granite Belt region –famous for its fruit orchards and wineries. Echo Valley Farm produces a range of nutrient dense farm produce from pastured eggs to grass fed and finished beef and sauerkraut fed pastured pork. Next, the tour will spend some time at the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus and receive a presentation from

the Centre Director, Animal ScienceProfessor Ben Hayes. Professor Hayes has extensive research experience in genetic improvement of livestock, crop, pasture and aquaculture species, with a focus on integration of genomic information into breeding programs. The main focus of this presentation will be Professor Hayes’ research on improving genomic selection for heat tolerance.

2025 Neogen World Angus Forum 7-8 May

Finally, the forum event will hit Brisbane on May 7th and 8th and will provide delegates with insight into the latest technology, genetics and innovation available within the beef industry, with a theme of ‘Beef for a Better Planet’.

Post Tour

9 May – 15 May 2025

Following a wonderful two days in Brisbane, delegates are invited to finish out their experience down under with the post tour, which heads north for a snapshot of Angus in the varied northern pastoral areas.

Day one heads to Longreach, QLD. On arrival, tour guests will head to the Qantas Founders Outback Museum for a guided tour. The museum was built to commemorate the work of the early aviators in western Queensland.

The morning of day two delegates will attend AAM’s feature Angus x Indicus Sale at their new ring yards in Longreach. The auction will be conducted by agents, Elders Limited. After lunch, the group will spend some time at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame, established as a tribute to the early explorers and stockmen of Australia. The Centre also shows the history of European settlement in rural Australia and the five

Purchase tickets here

On property, Tenterfield NSW

Manager: Darren Battistuzzi 0407 023 062

Agents: Ben Sharpe 0428 364 487 & Ben Johnston 0455 964 487 www.inglebraefarmsangus.com.au

• True Blue is as genuine as they come, offering a complete genetic package combining low birth weight, high growth, high IMF, excellent structure and docility.

• He is in the top 25% of the breed for 14 different traits including calving ease direct, birth weight, 600-day weight, carcase weight, EMA and IMF.

• He is well above average for mature body condition and below average for mature cow height, suggesting he will produce moderate, easy-doing and fertile cows.

• True Blue himself has excellent conformation and phenotype, moderate frame, and bomb-proof docility.

• He offers a rare combination of top 5% NFI-F and top 8% IMF at +4.5.

themed galleries celebrate the stories of Indigenous Australians, Pastoralists and Explorers. Longreach is situated on the Thomson River and this afternoon you will depart on a leisurely river cruise.

Day three will see the group depart from Longreach and travel to Isis Downs Station – owned by Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC). The station was purchased in 1987 and the subsequent acquisition of 9 surrounding properties has created a 246,057ha aggregation capable of running 21,000 cattle in favourable seasons. The herd consists of up to 6,000 breedersCharolais Brahman cross females crossed with Angus bulls producing cattle for the local trade and feedlot markets. The balance of the stock are heifers and steers being finished for sale to feedlots or meatworks, depending on the season. After lunch with your hosts, the rolling tour will travel on to Barcaldine.

Day four will continue the journey northeast of Alpha, where the tour will be hosted by representatives of Appleton Cattle Company at their Islay Plains Station. Appleton Cattle Company is one of the world’s largest privately owned organic beef producers and operates across over 2.2 million hectares of fully certified organic land throughout Queensland. The Company’s mission is continued growth and expansion across land, herds, and production, driven by a strong focus on people, properties, and product. Following the property visit the group will then head to Roma.

Day five in Roma sees the group head out to the Roma Saleyards - the largest cattle selling complex in Australia, landing there on sale day. Many cattle producers in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory choose to sell their cattle at these saleyards and they are known for their record breaking sales. There will be a guided tour of the complex and the chance to meet with a local livestock agent to receive an insight into the selling process, sourcing cattle and other topics of interest. Roma has an important history in oil and gas exploration, and you will have the opportunity to hear all about it on guided tour at The Big Rig before heading to Dalby.

Day six of the tour will see guests visit the heart of the fertile Darling Downs region, which has become known as the cattle feedlot hub of Australia. You will visit Stockyard Beef’s Kerwee Feedlot, which is renowned for their high-quality grain fed beef. The Kerwee property is 1,280 ha and includes not only their feedlot, but also breeding, grazing and grain farming operations. The Feedlot specialises in producing high quality Angus and Wagyu beef. At any one time, they have up to 20,200 cattle on feed.

Next will be a guided tour of the historical Jondaryan Woolshed – one of Australia’s oldest and largest woolsheds. This fertile Darling Downs region is also renowned for its cropping, so tour guests will spend some time at a family owned and operated cotton farm to learn about this very important Australian fibre crop, before continuing on to Toowoomba.

The last day of the tour spends time at The Paddock Butchery in Toowoomba where tour guests will see and learn about the most popular beef cuts from a butcher. Attendees will also have the chance to visit the iconic RM Williams store.

On arrival to Brisbane later in the day, guests will partake in a guided tour and tasting at Queensland’s very popular XXXX Brewery and before enjoying a farewell dinner, offering the chance to taste some of Stockyard Beef’s renowned grainfed product.

Get Immune Ready with Zoetis

During the World Angus Forum Events in 2025, the new Immune Ready Guidelines will continue to be an important discussion point for producers and veterinarians. Additionally, producers that plan to exhibit their cattle at the Angus Expo at AELEC in Tamworth on 3rd- 4th May 2025 are encouraged to ensure their cattle comply with the Immune Ready Guidelines. The Guidelines will help protect cattle in the preparation, transport and arrival of the cattle at the Tamworth Expo. The Expo will be the largest gathering of Angus cattle ever held in Australia and will certainly be an exciting event.

Background

Immune Ready is a cross industry collaboration to improve vaccination uptake and on farm biosecurity. The ongoing risk of endemic diseases in the cattle industry drove the establishment of a working group to look at vaccination guidelines to reduce the risk of disease transfer while cattle are traded through the supply chain. The ACV brought together a working group of veterinarians representing a range of cattle production systems - dairy, beef, feedlots, live export, academia and pharmaceutical. The goal for the group was to define the criteria of core vaccines and risk-based vaccinations, and then apply these criteria across different classes of cattle and in some instances geographical regions, to create the vaccination guidelines that suited different trade markets within the vast diversity of cattle production systems in Australia.

The Outcome

The outcome was the development of the Immune Ready Guidelines that identify the key diseases that need to be managed and / or monitored with appropriate vaccinations to mitigate disease transmission. The Immune Ready Guidelines are also endorsed by all the leading industry bodies including AVA, Australian Cattle Veterinarians, MLA, Animal Health Australia, Dairy Australia and Australian Lot Feeders Association as well as all key industry suppliers such as Zoetis Australia.

Preparing for the Angus Expo at AELEC in Tamworth: 3rd - 4th May 2025

To understand the benefits of following the recommendations of the Immune Ready Guidelines for Tamworth, Zoetis is offering, at no cost, personal discussions on what diseases need to be managed so you can maximise the benefits of this exciting event for you and your cattle.

By following standardised vaccination programs and increasing biosecurity, participants can safeguard the health of their cattle and enjoy a more sustainable future.

The ACV encourages the industry to continue to support and communicate the benefits of the Immune Ready Guidelines. Further information is available from the Immune Ready Website at: www.immuneready.net.au

Around the grounds at Beef Australia

A: Billi Marshall, Hannah Bourke & Jack Laurie, B: Hayden Vincent & Hamish Branson, C: Hanlie Jansen & Andrew Hallas, D: Jake Phillips & Darren Hegarty, E: Hamish and Noeleen Branson with Tammy McLeod, F: Kaiti and and Angus McGregor, G: Bonnie Cox, Stu Halliday, Sam Martin, Robert McKenzie & Erica Halliday, H: Margaret, Aimiee and Hayden Vincent and Sara and Nick Moyle, I: Scott Finlay, Jon

Gaffney, Chris McIlroy & Nancy Crawshaw, J: Matt Hatchard and Diana Wood, K : Seonaid McLaren, Emily Hurst, Ross Thompson, Bill Cornell & Kim Hodder, L: Andrea Daley and Lachlan Ayoub M: Ben Hill, Elliot Connors & Pete Collins, N: Cheyne Twist and Pete McGilchrist, O: Brad Cavanagh & Charlotte Broadbent, P: Richard Duddy, Billi Marshall, Tim Britain, Tammy McLeod, Susie Duddy & Ben Duddy, Q: Hanlie Jansen, Tam and Roger Boshammer, Warren Salter, Sinclair Munro & Scott Wright, R: Jasmin Ramage, Colby Eade, Warren Salter & Jackie Tout, S: Tom Wilding Davies, Kaiti McGregor, Harris Thompson, Jess Littler & Aimee Bolton

Bringing out the best at Beef

Diana Wood, Marketing & Communications Manager

Beef Australia 2024 in Rockhampton Qld, saw Angus Australia and Angus breeders and exhibitors put their best foot forward to promote the advantages that Angus cattle bring to not only northern production systems, but the beef industry as a whole.

It was also the perfect backdrop to promote projects with collaborators and encourage people to plan their itinerary for the 2025 Neogen World Angus forum.

Both the Angus Australia and 2025 Neogen World Angus Forum trade stands were kept busy throughout the duration, along with the Queensland Angus Breeders Group and individual Angus members with displays receiving a myriad of enquiries.

Angus Australia CEO Scott Wright described Beef Australia as a ‘massive week’.

With so many activities taking place from the seminar to Angus judging, to the Angus Australia and Achmea Australia drinks and catching up with members and partners to name a few, it was the ultimate chance to promote the benefits of Angus genetics to a captive audience.

‘We had the northern development program seminar on Angus profitability in the north, which was a sell out and we had a lot of interest from northern cattle producers on how to use Angus genetics in northern environments,’ said Scott.

‘Beef Australia is the premier event for the beef industry in Australia and it was great to see so many Angus Australia members in attendance.’

Angus makes history

In an historic first the Angus breed has taken out an Interbreed award at Beef Australia for the first time, while also being the first team from a British breed to win the Interbreed Exhibitors Group award.

Pine Creek Angus Stud, Cowra NSW were awarded the honours under Judges, Scott Dunlop, Ian Galloway and Wayne York.

The Exhibitors Group was made up of the Reserve Senior Champion bull

PC Diamond Top Prize T048, Senior and Grand Champion female, PC Diamond Miss Unanimous S032, and Reserve Calf Champion female, PC Diamond Miss Royal Roll U030.

Earlier in the week in the Angus judging, 73 exhibits were paraded before Judge Graeme Hopf with the major award shared across the exhibitors.

PC Diamond Miss Unaminous S032 exhibited by Pine Creek Angus Stud took out the Senior and Grand Champion award, while Bowenfels Reality T1 exhibited by Glenrae Pastoral Company was awarded Senior and Grand Champion bull.

National Carcase Competition

In the revised results out of the National Beef Carcase competition, Angus and Angus influenced cattle have once again proved their worth for carcase and eating quality taking out a number of awards.

JBS Australia was awarded the grand champion pen for its pen of Angus and Angus cross steers carcases. The steers came from the company’s Yambinya Station, near Burraboi, NSW.

The same three carcases also won best pen of three MSA index award, as well as individual best MSA Index carcase.

The three carcases came from the export grainfed export chiller 300-420kg class and produced MSA index scores of 70.22, 69.74 and 66.83, to average 68.93.

One of the steers from this pen was also crowned champion single carcase.

In the Pasture-fed light trade steer or heifer class, 200-280kg, Bruce Campbell, AS & M Campbell & Son, Keysbrook, Western Australia was awarded champion pen with Angus steers.

India Williamson, Moore Park, Glen Innes NSW won champion Pasture fed heavy trade steers or heifers 280-360kg with with Angus steers.

Roger Wilkinson, Bathurst NSW had a pen of Angus take out champion Pasture fed export steer class for entries 300-420kg And in the Grainfed heavy trade steers or heifers 280-360kg, D and A Skinner, had a pen of Angus steers take out the award.

Supporting the next generation of beef leaders

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Showcasing the collaboration between Angus Australia and Achmea Australia in the development pathways for young leaders through the catalyst of the GenAngus Future Leaders Program, a number of GenAngus alumni joined Achmea Australia CEO Emma Thomas on the ‘Supporting the next generation of beef leaders’ seminar at Beef Australia 2024.

Along with Angus Australia Extension Manager Jake Phillips, Achmea Australia CEO, Emma Thomas, Jack Laurie (GenAngus 2022 cohort), Nancy Crawshaw (GenAngus 2022 cohort), Hannah Powe (GenAngus 2023 cohort), and Ed Bradley (GenAngus 2023 cohort), all joined the panel session, hosted by Achmea Australia and facilitated by Airlie Fenton-Taylor, and spoke to the GenAngus experience and how being involved in a program like GenAngus has assisted in their personal and professional development. The conversation of the panel also touched on the challenges faced everyday by people living and working in agriculture, speaking on important topics such as mental health and family farming succession.

JBS southern livestock manager Steve Chapman. Image: Queensland Country Life

Breeding for profitability in Northen Australia

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Breeding for profitability was the topic of discussion at the Angus Australia Angus for Every System –Breeding for Profitability in Northern Australia seminar, which took place in May at Beef Australia 2024.

The session hosted presentations from Ian McLean, Managing Director of Bush AgriBusiness, Ben Noller of Palgrove Pastoral and Troy Setter from Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC).

The seminar first overviewed the work Bush AgriBusiness has done in a research project investigating the utilization of Angus genetics in commercial herds and their impact on the profitability of beef herds.

Firstly, Ian highlighted research conducted by Bush AgriBusiness regarding their clients, how they identify the top performing herds within these clients and go on to analyze what separates the top performing businesses they work with in the northern pastoral locations to their counterparts.

“We’re pretty fortunate to work with a lot of beef businesses across Northern Australia and do a lot of benchmarking,” said Ian. “What we do is we line all the businesses up. Once we've analysed them based on profitability, we identify the ones that are performing well. We spend a fair bit of time looking at these businesses to try to understand what it is that they're doing, what separates them from the rest, what we can learn from them, and what the industry can learn from them.

“Whether it's for family businesses or pasture company businesses, the same things keep rising in those endpoints that separate them and put them up the top of the field. These are:

· herd productivity (which is that they're more efficient at turning grass in the beef),

· better targeted herd expenditure better labour efficiency

· lower overhead cost for a unit

Those three points can be achieved independent of scale.”

“Scale does come in as generally the better performing businesses have more operating scale,” he continued.

“These top performing businesses have operating efficiency right as well. All that combines to a lower cost of production.

“There's also a fair bit that we can't quantify. All the top performers want to know how they are performing and how they can improve, they are hungry for information and knowledge, they think critically and can smell bullshit from a distance, they match stocking rate to carrying capacity, they manage for stability versus volatility, they use genetics

to leverage good management and they manage risk.”

Furthermore, Ian looked into the ageold adage of what is more important –management or genetics, summarising this by saying, “By management, we're talking about how well they run the business. This is how well they sell the goods, if their systems are good, do they match stock rate, carrying capacity, target herd expenditure, demand efficiency, et cetera.”

He continued, “I'm going to quote Phil Holmes from the 2017 Australian Beef Report, ‘Management is a paramount; Genetics alone can save poor performing beef businesses. Genetics is a power lever, which can significantly enhance good management at very low cost. It would be a travesty if you left this powerful level unused’.”

When looking into the Profiting using Angus genetics in Commercial Herds report conducted by Dr Michael Wellington, Ian identified the key findings; productivity benefits outweigh price premiums and that price premium provides the icing on the cake, a significant proportion of productivity benefit is due to heterosis, as achieving ongoing heterosis will be important for management, the results are very sensitive to changes in additional expenses meaning producers should consider the potential for increased bull costs and increased bull turnover, the rate of genetic change of seedstock sources has a big impact on long term returns with the recommendation to ‘hitch on to a bull supplier who is going in the right direction and travel in their wake’.

“In summary, herd productivity drives income, income drives profit,” said Ian. “The top performers have more productive herds, target their expenditure better, have better labour efficiency, and more scale. Management is more important than genetics, but genetics is really leveraged on management.

“Introducing Angus genetics provides financial benefits to commercial herds across the board, and as we saw, not just the price premium, but the productivity, the heterosis, and the genetic change over time.

“The productivity benefits outlay the price premium. Heterosis is important, but like everything you can’t spend too much on it and make sure you get the right seedstock source results.”

Following Ian, the seminar shifted gears to a presentation from Ben Noller, General Manager of Palgrove Pastoral.

Operating properties in Southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, Palgrove’s mission aims to ‘provide superior, well researched, high performance genetics, backed by science and data, that consistently improve performance/profitability’.

Ben highlighted the main purpose of their operation is to breed adaptable, functional cattle with increased fertility that achieve higher compliance rates for their clients.

“Aside from our bull depot and selling facility, all of our other properties are breeding properties,” he said. “We run a 50/50 stud and commercial herd on those properties, running 6,500 registered

Charolais, Angus, Ultrablack and Brangus breeders.

“Palgrove has been operating for 55 years and has predominantly been a Charolais business throughout that time,” said Ben. “Since 2009, we've been operating the UltraBlack program.

“Just to put a few numbers into perspective to highlight some of the growth for the program, in 2015, Charolais were making up 60 to 70% of our business at that time and we were selling about 180 Ultrablack, Angus and Brangus Bulls.

“2018 marked a significant point within the growth phase of the Ultrablack program, where there was a long-term strategy for us to really bolster that program. We purchased new assets and a number of Angus females to really bolster our program.”

He continued, “If we look back at my previous numbers, Charolais made up 60 to 70% of our business. They now make up 35% of business with the Ultrablack, Angus and Brangus bulls making up 65% of our total bull sales. That's not that the Charloais had a huge reduction so much as the increase in numbers that we're seeing in that Ultrablack, Angus and Brangus space.”

When it comes to why Palgrove have invested so heavily into their Ultrablack program, Ben said, “There are a few reasons around why around the Ultrablack program. There was probably a limit around how many Charolais bulls we could distribute, the skillset in the business and that we were wanting to sell more, so there was a need for another breed.

“The other reason was basically through client demand. A lot of our clients were using Charolais over heavy high bos indicus content cattle and were looking for a third breed to put over and into that cross.

“Also is during that time, there was a lot of market demand for increased carcase quality traits, and we thought the Ultrablacks could certainly add to that, but there was also a big push from the industry in northern Australia for fertility traits.”

Covering the past, present and future for the business, Ben highlighted some of the challenges that Palgrove has faced and has refined the Ultrablack program and product they produce.

“Some of the challenges along the way –our aim was basically to have enough bos indicus content within those animals that

they would provide that heat tolerance or thermo regulation within those tough environments with tropical adaption, yet we still wanted to produce cattle that would grow, grade, and yield.

“Our client base was sending cattle into a number of different markets, with the majority going into the southern feedlots, but we had a number of grass producers and clients at scale in Western Queensland in the organic space as well, which was really important."

He continued, “We knew what we wanted to develop with the 80% Angus, 20% Brahman content. We knew that was doable because we had these animals already in our program at reasonable scale and they were performing well for us.

“The next step was basically doing this at scale with more producers across more of Australia to verify that they could do it in those tough environments.”

Looking to the present analysis of their business and the key drivers of growth in their program, Ben identified the marketability of the genetics for their clients, “Our present is why are people buying these Ultrablack bulls? I guess for me, it's been that the balance between the maternal production and the terminal performance that people are receiving from these Ultrablack and Angusinfluenced genetics in these tougher environments”.

Ben also touched on the development of UltraSELECT, the recently launched genetic evaluation for Ultrablack and Brangus animals, providing the opportunity for improved selection decisions and increased international trade of genetics. The collaborative genetic evaluation with International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) is available to animals registered in the Angus Australia Multibreed Register (MBR) with a breed composition of Brahman and Angus. The evaluation produces estimated breeding values (EBVs) for a specific list of traits.

“The key thing with that for us was we just didn't really have that robust genetic analysis to really push us forward,” said Ben of the launch of UltraSELECT. “Angus Australia had a real progressive approach to help us out in this quest to find a genetic analysis that allows us a bit more robust to make some breeding decisions and also some better breeding decisions for our clients.”

“It’s a really exciting step forward for not only Palgrove and us to make genetic

decisions on our clients, but also for anyone else out there that wants to come on the journey and improve profitability and use more Angus genetics in all of Australia.”

Rounding out the presentations was Troy Setter, Chief Executive Officer of Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC).

CPC’s history goes back to 1879 and was first consolidated as a company in 1983. CPC owns and operates a portfolio of nine station aggregations in Australia and two feedlots in Indonesia. Across more than 3.2m hectares of land, the CPC team can care for more than 300,000 head of cattle and produce a diverse range of crops.

Sharing an insight into the CPC operations and the use of genetics to consistently increase their efficiency and profitability across their business, Troy shared how their company has adapted their management over time to drive profit.

“It was 10 years ago when I started at CPC. We had a terminal Charolais program, and we had quite a terminal Angus program in central Queensland as well.

“We thought we were running a maternal program, but we weren't buying a bull under 1,000 or 1,200 kilograms. If we sat back and look at Northern Australia, where our markets are, we put a 300 to 400kg feeder steer on a ship and those cattle are taken out to near 500kgs in Southeast Asia. If we're supplying feedlots in Australia, those grainfed animals are taken out to 500 to 60kgs live weight.”

Over the last decade, building from a Brahman base in their commercial herd CPC have integrated Buran, Angus and Waygu genetics into their operation. The company has established a genetics program to supply the CPC commercial herd with the best possible genetics, specifically designed for CPC, at a lower cost than commercially procuring in the open market.

“When we look Northern Australia when we started this program, it was predominantly uncontrolled joining, and a lot lactational estrus. We had to wean just about all our cows to get them to cycle again and which meant that they were out of season, and we were doing a lot of pregnancy testing synchronisation. We had really low branding rates. Genetic gain was lower than CPA and disease was a big issue,” said Troy.

“We looked at the Beef Situation Analysis which said that the average herd in Northern Australia had a profit of about six

dollars per animal equivalent, and the top performers were at about 60 something.

“We wanted to be in that top performing group, and we needed to be within about 12 months, in order to make payroll.”

When talking about the influence of Angus genetics in their genetics program, Troy identified the predictability and performance of the Angus product.

Of the purpose driven animal they are now producing and how they are finding the animal not only adapts to the environment, but also is better placed for market suitability, Troy said, “I really wanted to match to our country and markets as well. When cattle prices are difficult and demand from feedlots is lighter on, like it is at the moment, some straight bos indicus breeds are really hard to sell.

“You don't have a restocker market competing. The two big domestic supermarket chains don't buy them a lot.”

He continued, “Getting that Angus genetics into them really helped us with more competitive market on our cull heifers when the price gets difficult, while improving carcase and hybrid vigour.

“Through our genetics program, we run EBVs and a single step test for the genomics that we run with ourselves and a couple of other people and share and benchmark all of that data together like any stud would, doing a lot of performance reporting.

“We've got some cattle in green feeders this year. We've put a couple of hundred bulls in net feed conversion efficiency and emissions reduction is also something that we're looking in for. We're trying to get every animal on the right-hand side of the curve.”

CPC utilised industry research to come to conclusions for the breeding objectives for their operation. “We used a bit of data from the NT Department of Primary Industries, which summed up that the heavier the heifer is in Northern Australia, the higher the pregnancy weight,” said Troy.

“We looked at that and went, we've been chasing that. We've been breeding big heavier, later maturing heifers, rather than trying to find the heifers that actually breed at a lighter, younger, earlier weight, so we moved to that.

“The bull does our first selection and pretty much anything over about 240kgs in November gets a bull put with it on most of the stations.”

Highlighting the challenges for animals in the north, Troy outlined, “We're challenged by some really big strong wet and dry cycles.

“We get pretty much all of our rain over two and a half to three months on a lot of the stations, and then it's dry for the rest of the year. Then you can get a fire. We have really low-quality soils for nitrogen and phosphorus, and that's a big challenge.

“We've learned if your animals aren't cycling and getting in calf until they're about 400kgs, on a heifer, you're lucky to be getting a calf by the time they're three years of age in Northern Australia.”

He continued, “I talk to a lot of Angus breeders who say, my heifers getting in calf as a 12-month-old. But if that weight is into the 400kgs, they're not going to be suited for Northern Australia. They're going to be suited for Southern Australia.

“We want fast puberty and young growth. We ran the economics on this a few years

ago. If the heifer calves as a three-yearold, we'd lose about $205. If the heifer calves as a two-year-old, there's about $30 profit. So, getting heifers that are calving young is good for us. We want lots of fertility, but we want a fast growth and moderate cow size in our business.”

When looking at the bull portion of their operation there are some important considerations taken into account when selecting or breeding bulls, based on their ability to do in the harsher northern conditions.

“The growth pattern in the bulls is really important. Fast young growth, early puberty, early maturity,” said Troy. “Age is also important for bulls going north. We've tried young yearling bulls, taking them up north and letting them go so that they can have a year under their belt.

“We’ve had some real issues with them growing out and not getting enough body condition on them. They want to work hard, and the next year, they're really skinny. We take them up north, they're going to work for 52 weeks of the year.

“Body condition and positive fat is really important. Sheaths are important, and so is prepuce.”

Considering the different environmental pressures of the country in northern pastoral areas and how that influences the selection and culling methods within their business, Troy said, “Feet could be a big challenge, but it's not as big a challenge as hair, bad structure and bad temperament for us. CPC’s water points are pretty close together, only three kilometres apart. But other people have them a lot further apart and further to get to yards, with some having 30- and 40-kilometre walks.

“We do use more portable panels and portable yards now we put more of the Angus cattle in,” he said.

“Foraging ability is something that's important for the bull in order for them not only to be able to walk and work its way out, but also get out to forage. In the Northern Territory, the cattle really need to push out the first one or two kilometres

There's also a fair bit that we can't quantify. All the top performers want to know how they are performing and how they can improve, they are hungry for information and knowledge, they think critically and can smell bullshit from a distance

“ “

from troughs or watering points to find decent feed, particularly when it’s really hot and the grass is really short.”

After making changes to their genetics, CPC now sit at a 92% weaning rate for their first calf controlled joined Angus x Brahman composites. Furthermore, the first calf heifer rebreeds of their cross bred cattle are at an 80% weaning rate.

Within their feedlot performance in Indonesia, across 135,000 head the CPC Angus and Angus cross cattle have a 18% higher average daily gain than all other breed combinations, 10% more total weight gain than all other combinations and 8% less days on feed then all other breed combinations.

Troy identifies that while the influence of Angus genetics in their operation has assisted in a growth of profitability and efficiency, there are still some opportunities for growth within their

Northern Protocols

company and their clientele regarding understanding the use of the Angus breed in the Australia’s northern beef and export industries.

“If you look at Indonesia and the Middle East for live cattle, they're used to getting red or grey Brahman cattle and a lot of Charbray cattle,” said Troy. “They're not sure about black cattle.”

“There are perceptions about lack of yield in the boning room or that they're too fat. It's an education piece up there that I think is certainly opportunity for us as a company.

“I think there are also some producers scratching their head in Australia, not really understanding the crossbreeding or they've been in other breed production for so long where it's been more terminal,” he continued. “However now I put an Angus bull over my adapted commercial cattle in the north, and instead of putting it out

as a terminal, it’s actually understanding that we are keeping the females and the rollover of those females into the herd.

“It's about markets we're heading to. That was a continual education process because they had 20 plus years of thinking about another breed as a terminal or other colours were spade out.”

Overall, this change and adaption for the cattle within the CPC herd has meant that there has been a reduced age of turn off from 4.2 years to 2 years including cull cows, their kilograms produced per hectare has improved to 74%, their branding rate has gone from 51% to 82%, the mortality rate is down from 5.7% to 4.6% and the composite cattle produced by CPC make $36 per head on average more than pure bos indicus counterparts.

Angus Australia have developed the northern Australia protocols, for producers to use as a guideline for using Angus bulls in northern Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. These have been developed in response to the increased interest in the utilisation of Angus bulls and Angus genetics in the northern areas of Australia. These guides have been developed to assist breeders in their decision-making process and to maximise the productivity and longevity of Angus bulls in breeding herds, and assist in the full process of purchasing, delivering and the ongoing management of Angus bulls in northern Australia.

Introducing UltraSELECT

Jen Peart, Genetic Improvement Specialist & Hanlie Jansen, Extension Officer

Angus Australia launched UltraSELECT, a genetic evaluation for UltraBlack and Brangus animals, on 18th June 2024.

In response to the continued demand for Angus influenced animals in Northern Australia and growth within the multibreed register (MBR; Figure 1), Angus Australia has in collaboration with International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA), launched a genetic evaluation for member’s breeding UltraBlack and Brangus animals.

UltraSELECT will combine data sources (phenotypes, genotypes and pedigree) from Australia and the United States in a single-step genetic evaluation, facilitated by Neogen, to produce estimated breeding values (EBVs). Animals recorded in the MBR with a listed breed composition of Brahman and Angus will be included in both UltraSELECT and TACE genetic evaluations.

Scott Wright, Angus Australia’s CEO is very excited to see the release of Ultra SELECT.

“This project has been a key recommendation of the Northern Development Committee and a Key Outcome from our 5-year strategic plan.”

“This initiative allows Angus Australia members breeding Ultrablack style cattle to have a Genetic Evaluation tool that they can both have confidence in for their own decision making but also to give their clients a very useful tool to select animals,” said Mr Wright.

“I commend the team and hope that this is widely used by our members to again make significant inroads into the north using Angus genetics" added Mr Wright.

Further, UltraSELECT provides an improved description of Angus-influenced animals’ genetic merit via the use of a larger reference population, via partnership with IBBA (Table 1), which provides significant genetic influence on the Australian UltraBlack herd.

There are currently 82 UltraBlack or Brangus sires recorded within the MBR from North America (IBBA registered). Together, these sires’ progeny represents 16% of the UltraBlack and Brangus content animals registered within the MBR.

Angus Australia’s Genetic Manager of Genetic Improvement, Mr Christian Duff explained, “the main aim of UltraSELECT is to provide our members breeding UltraBlack and Brangus animals with enhanced genetic selection tools to make more informed selection decisions”.

“The strategic collaboration with IBBA stemmed from the significant genetic influence of North American animals on

Figure 1 - Number of UltraBlack and Brangus content animals registered on the Multibreed Register (MBR).

Statistics #

Number of Animals 1,609,029

Number of Sires 67,654

Number of Dams 480,299

Number of Genotypes 63,314

Number of Birthweights

Number of Wean weights

Number of Yearling weights

Number of Cow weights

Number of Scans

Number of Scrotal Circumference

Table 1 - Number of Animals, genotypes and phenotypic measures included in the UltraSELECT genetic evaluation, current at May 2024

the Australian UltraBlack population and provides the opportunity for continued international collaboration on research and development for the advantage of Ultrablack and Brangus breeders globally, including Angus Australia members” Mr Duff added.

“Other key benefits UltraSELECT provides breeders includes global benchmarking of Australian genetics and international trade capabilities,” added Mr Duff.

EBVs Reported

There are currently twelve EBVs published in the UltraSELECT genetic evaluation, covering calving ease, growth, fertility and carcase traits, as well as two indexes. As with all EBVs, the absolute value has no inherent relevance but is used to compare one sire to another. The specific EBVs and their descriptions are:

Calving ease direct (CED) is the difference in percentage of unassisted births when a sire is bred to first calf heifers, when compared to progeny of other sires. A higher number is desirable.

Calving ease maternal (CEM) is the difference in percentage of unassisted births of a sire’s daughters as first calf heifers when compared to daughters of other sires. A higher number is desirable.

Birth weight (BW), reported in kgs, is the difference in average birth weight of progeny compared to that of other sires. Weaning weight (WW), reported in kgs, is the difference in weight of progeny averaged at 205 days of age to calves of other sires.

Yearling weight (YW), reported in kgs, is the difference in weight of progeny averaged at 365 days of age to calves of other sires.

Mature cow weight (MCW), expressed in kgs, is a predictor of the difference in mature cow weight of a sire’s daughters when compared to daughters of other sires.

Milk (M) predicts the sire’s genetic merit for milking ability as expressed in his daughters, compared to the daughters of other sires. Milk accounts for the part of a calf’s weaning weight attributed to milking ability of the dam.

Heifer pregnancy (HP), reported in percentile units, is the probability of a sire’s daughter becoming pregnant during their first breeding season compared to daughters of other sires.

Scrotal circumference (SC), reported in centimetres, is the difference in yearling scrotal circumference of a bull’s male progeny compared to sons of other sires.

Ribeye area (REA), reported in square centimetres, is the difference in ultrasound ribeye area of a bull’s beef bound progeny compared to progeny of other sires.

Fat thickness (FT), reported in millimetres, is the difference of ultrasound fat thickness on a carcass when measured between the 12th and 13th ribs of a bull’s beef bound progeny compared to progeny of other sires.

Intramuscular fat (IMF), reported in decimal terms, is the difference in the percentage of ultrasound intramuscular fat of a bull’s beef bound progeny compared to progeny of other sires. This is highly correlated with USDA marbling score, a major determination of USDA quality grade. As with all EBVs, the absolute value has no inherent relevance but is used to compare one sire to another.

Additional EBVs may be added to the UltraSELECT evaluation in the future. This will depend on further R&D to assess technical feasibility including phenotype compatibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Angus Australia introducing UltraSELECT?

Angus Australia is collaborating with IBBA to produce UltraSELECT, to provide UltraBlack and Brangus breeders with a genetic evaluation that is more tailored to their population opposed to the Australian and New Zealand Angus population (utilised for TACE). This provides UltraBlack and Brangus breeders with improved selection capabilities and increases the opportunity for cross trade between Australia and North America of UltraBlack and Brangus genetics. Additionally, it provides the opportunity for future global collaboration on initiatives that will benefit Ultrablack and Brangus breeders globally, including Angus Australia members.

How to be involved?

Animals registered within the MBR, with a recorded breed composition of Brahman and Angus (predominantly Ultrablacks but including Brangus animals) are automatically included in the UltraSELECT. A data pipeline has been constructed to allow pedigree, phenotypes and genotypes

to seamlessly flow between Angus Australia and IBBA. As a result, recorded performance data and genotypes, that meets IBBA collection parameters, are analysed by UltraSELECT. The vast majority of data submitted to the TACE evaluation is suitable to be included in the UltraSELECT evaluation.

In the near future, an updated collection of performance data guideline for both TACE and UltraSELECT will be provided to UltraBlack breeding members to ensure that collected performance data is suitable for the analysis.

Will UltraSELECT sire rankings be similar to TACE rankings?

Sires can be expected to rank similarly, but not exactly the same when comparing rankings of UltraSELECT EBVs to TACE EBVs, for the same trait. This is a result of it being tailored specifically to Ultrablack animals, rather than the Australian & New Zealand Angus population. UltraSELECT includes significantly more data from North America and there are also some differences in the analysis model and trait definitions.

Can I compare animals in UltraSELECT with other animals in the IBBA evaluation?

As UltraSELECT results are published as EBVs, the breeding values for animals in the UltraSELECT evaluation are not directly comparable to IBBA EPDs. However, due to being a joint evaluation, with the correct conversion factors applied UltraSELECT EBVs can be converted to EPDs with BIF accuracies and directly compared to those

reported by IBBA for North American registered animals.

The percentiles reported in UltraSELECT are calculated specifically for animals registered with Angus Australia and therefore, animals cannot be compared on a percentile basis between UltraSELECT and IBBA.

Angus Australia is able to provide EPDs and BIF accuracies for those members who wish to compare animals from the different associations.

How often will the analysis occur?

UltraSELECT EBVs will be updated at the start of every month.

What’s next?

Performance data collection guidelines for inclusion in both UltraSELECT and TACE will be provided to Angus Australia members who wish to partake in both evaluations will be provided shortly.

The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) and Angus Australia will continue to explore opportunities for collaborative R&D and the feasibility for additional EBVs to be included UltraSELECT. If technically feasible (e.g. trait consistency, modelling), new EBVs will be added to UltraSELECT as the service is enhanced. Also being considered is the development of Australian focused selection indexes, as well as more information made accessible via the platform, such as breed composition and horn/poll gene status.

Accessing UltraSELECT

UltraSELECT EBVs will be available as a search function through Angus. Tech online. This search tool allows users to set EBV thresholds and other search criteria to directly compare UltraBlack and Brangus sires from across the globe, that are registered in the Angus Australia MBR. Additional information on accessing and utilising the UltraSELECT interface are available within the Angus Education Centre.

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Crossword Puzzle

For more information on the Collection guidelines for TACE scan the QR code.

Down:

1. Trait which has a heritability of 43%

4. EBV that estimates genetic differences between animals in boned out saleable meat from a 400 kg carcase

6. Number of Chromosome pairs in Cattle DNA

10. Indication of the reliability of the EBV in estimating the animal’s genetics (or true breeding value)

Across:

2. EBV that estimates genetic differences between animals in live weight of cows at 5 years of age

3. Definition is the complete set of genetic material present in an organism. Comprised of DNA

5. Trait which has a heritability of 53%

7. EBV that estimates genetic differences between animals in live weight at 200 days of age due to the maternal contribution of its dam

8. EBV that estimates genetic differences between animals in temperament

9. Trait has a heritability of 57%

11. EBV that estimates genetic differences in the ability of a sire’s daughters to calve unassisted at 2 years of age

12. EBV that estimates genetic differences in the ability of a sire’s calves to be born unassisted from 2 year old heifers

World Angus Evaluation Enhancements

In May 2024, Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI), which is a subsidiary of the American Angus Association, made routine annual updates and significant enhancements to the World Angus Evaluation (WAE).

Christian Duff, General Manager

Genetic Improvement explains “periodic enhancements to our genetic evaluation programs like TACE the WAE are critical to ensure we are using the latest research and providing results to members with the highest accuracy possible for the modern Angus animal.”

“Some additions, like percentile and breed average values in the case of the WAE, also make the information more useable from a genetic benchmarking perspective” added Christian

The main WAE enhancements are:

1. Percentile Values. To assist with benchmarking and usability, percentile values have been added to the WAE online search tool (figure 1) and results tables (figure 2).

2. Carcase EPD Enhancements. Updates have been applied to the model used and its genetic parameters (heritability and genetic correlations) for evaluating the carcass weight, ribeye area and fat Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs).

3. Genomics Core: The genomics core has been updated. This ensures a good representation of the genotyped population and provides optimized convergence for the models and computing time efficiencies, allowing AGI to maintain a timely delivery of the WAE genetic evaluation.

Further detail on the enhancements can be found at the American Angus Association website or by scanning the QR code. To recap, the WAE is a globally focussed genetic analysis of Angus cattle. It combines data sources (phenotypes, genotypes, and pedigree) from the American Angus Association®, Canadian Angus Association and Angus Australia with the results being Expected Progeny Differences (EPD), which are like Estimated

The WAE results are published by way of a sire search tool with the sires listed updated quarterly (March, June, September, and December), with EPDs updated on a weekly basis.

The requirements for a sire to appear in the search facility are:

1. Weaning weight BIF accuracy of at least 0.45

2. 5 or more progeny with weaning weight records

Have produced 2 or more calves included in the herd book in the last 2 years.

Figure 1. Percentile rank filter on the WAE sire search tool

Figure 2. Percentile (%) values listed on the WAE sire search tool

Angus Evaluation please refer to the Angus Australia website and Angus Education Centre.

Making the most of Genomics

Hanlie Jansen, Extension Officer

The effectiveness of genomics in delivering value hinges upon the support of a well-recorded genomic reference population - particularly for hard-to-measure and lowly heritable traits.

The genomic reference population refers to the number of genotyped animals with a phenotypic record for a particular trait. The amount of benefit received in the predictive ability of estimated breeding values (EBVs) from the incorporation of genomics is dependent on:

Size of the genomic reference population.

- The greater the size of the genomic reference population the greater the benefit received.

The heritability of the trait.

- Traits with lower heritability will require a larger genomic reference population to provide similar benefits in predictive ability, when compared to traits with higher heritability.

The amount of genetic variation present within the population.

- More diverse populations will require a larger genomic reference population, to provide similar benefits in predictive ability, when compared to less diverse populations.

An animal’s genomic relationship with the other animals in the genomic reference population.

- Animals with genotypes more related to the genomic reference population (i.e. share a greater number of genes) will receive a greater benefit from the incorporation of genomics.

The relevance of the production system in which the phenotypes were recorded.

- Animal’s which are raised in a similar environment to the animals recorded in the genomic reference population will receive a greater benefit in the predictive ability of their EBVs, compared to animals raised in a different manner.

The foundation – a well-recorded genomic reference population

The Trans-Tasman Angus Cattle Evaluation (TACE) has built a large well recorded genomic reference population through both personal submission of performance records by members and the Angus Sire Benchmarking Program (Figure 1). These contributions have provided TACE with a substantial genomic reference population for use in the genetic evaluation and provides the increase in predictive ability of EBVs with the incorporation of genomics.

Growing the Reference Population

Over the past 5 years, there has been continued growth in the number of records

Figure 1 – TACE genomic reference population size and heritability of each trait. CDS = Calving Difficulty Score, GL = Gestation Length, BW = Birth weight, WW = Weaning weight, YW = Yearling weight, FW = final weight, MCW = Mature cow weight, SS = Scrotal Circumference, DtC = Days to calving, Scan (IMF) = Ultrasound scanning Intramuscular Fat, Scan (EMA) = Ultrasound scanning Eye muscle area, DOC = Docility score. Note. Heritability listed for scan (IMF) and (EMA) are the heritability values for the carcass traits.

Figure 2Number of submissions by trait (Weight traits) for each submission year.

Figure 3Number of submissions by trait (Scan traits) for each submission year. IMF (Scan) = Ultrasound scanning Intramuscular Fat, EMA (Scan) = Ultrasound scanning Eye muscle area.

Figure 4Number of submissions by trait (other traits) for each submission year. Note, front feet claw set has been utilised to represent each of the structural traits, which follow the same pattern.

submitted by the membership across most traits (Figure 2 – 4). Though, there has also been a 20% increase in the number of calves registered from 2017 to 2022. Therefore, the increase in performance data submissions is most likely attributable to the increase in calves registered, aside from traits that have become of focus more recently (mature cow weight, docility, and structure).

Accompanied by the increased percentage of animals being genotyped rising rapidly over the past 5 years, from 25% in 2017 to 60% in 2022 (Figure 5), the genomic reference population for many traits continues to grow, providing increased predictive ability of EBVs from TACE.

Analysis of performance submissions for each calf crop, highlights that though there has been an increase in overall performance submissions (Figure 2 – 4), there has been a consistent percentage of animals recorded for weight and ultrasound scanning traits across 2018-2021(Figure 5). Contrastingly, the percentage of submissions of docility and structural traits has increased across 2018-2021 (Figure 5). Traits measured later in the animal's life such as 600-day weights, structural scores and carcase scans currently appear lower for 2022 compared to the year prior, which is reflection of these animals being currently measured and yet to be submitted to TACE due to being from Spring calving herds (born in 2022).

Future

The increasing size of the genomic reference population, from both the submissions of phenotypic data and genotyping of animals will see a continual improvement in the predictive ability of estimated breeding values. In turn, members gain improvements in selection accuracy and genetic gains, particularly for younger animals which have limited phenotypic data recorded.

A key focus should be in increasing the size of the genomic reference population of hard-to-measure and lowly heritable traits, as these will see the most benefit. The Angus Sire Benchmarking Program plays a significant role in this area and will continue to do so in the future.

5 – Percentage of animals recorded for each trait, by year of birth. Note. 2022 drop calves may be experiencing a lag in data recording and submissions.

Key Points

· TACE is underpinned by a large well-recorded reference population, providing increased predictive ability of EBVs.

· TACE continues to be supported by a growing number of records of performance data submitted by members, including for hard-to-measure or new traits i.e. structure and docility

The key focus should continue to be hard-to-measure and lowly heritable traits, as these will benefit the most from increases in performance recording.

For further information on the benefits of genomics, and understanding how you can incorporate it within in your herd, check out the Angus Education Centre Module –Genomics – What, How, Why and When?

You can also reach out to the extension team to discuss how this specifically relates to your herd.

Figure

NEW Angus Education Centre Module:

Genomics – How, What, Why and When?

Jake Phillips, Extension Manager

In the basics of cattle breeding, understanding the genetic blueprint of an animal has become paramount. The Angus cow is an example of biological engineering, composed of billions of cells.

Within these cells lies a nucleus, housing pairs of chromosomes—bundles of DNA that carry the instructions for the animal's development, function, and appearance. This genetic material is structured, with DNA forming a double helix of nucleotides, whose sequences dictate genetic variation among animals.

The Basics of DNA and Genetic Inheritance

DNA testing, or genotyping, allows us to decode an animal's DNA, identifying base pairs at targeted locations within the genome. This technology is crucial in understanding how genes are inherited and expressed in progeny.

When an animal reproduces, one chromosome from each pair is randomly selected to pass onto the offspring. With cattle having 30 chromosome pairs, this random selection is similar to flipping a coin 30 times, resulting in over a billion possible combinations. This process, known as Mendelian sampling, ensures that no two sperm or eggs are identical, contributing to the genetic diversity observed in full siblings.

Figure 1. Illustration of the shuffling of chromosomes that occurs during sperm formation. The first column represents the bull’s two sets of chromosomes. Chromosomes inherited from the bull’s sire are in blue. Chromosomes from the bull’s dam are in pink. The other columns depict possible combinations of paternal and maternal chromosomes in individual sperm cells. There are more than 1 billion possible combinations.

The Power of Genomic Selection

Genomic selection delves deeper into these inherited chromosome segments, offering insights that go beyond traditional pedigree assumptions. By analysing the genetic profiles of animals, breeders can predict breeding values with higher accuracy, leveraging the data from a wellrecorded genomic reference population— a large group of animals with both genotypes and phenotypes documented. The accuracy of genomic predictions hinges on several factors:

· Size of the genomic reference population:

More genotyped animals with performance data enhance accuracy. Trait heritability: Traits with lower heritability require more data.

· Effective population size: Greater genetic diversity demands a larger reference population.

Genetic relationship: Closer genetic ties between the target animal and the reference population improve prediction accuracy.

· Relevance of collected phenotypes: Performance data must be relevant to the production system.

By considering these factors, genomic selection can significantly enhance breeding decisions, enabling more precise and early assessments of an animal's potential.

Figure 2. Example of relationships between animals in a traditional genetic evaluation. Based on pedigree relationships, the animal is estimated to have 50% of genes in common with each parent, 25% of genes in common with each grand-parent, and 25% of genes in common with each of its half siblings.

Advantages of Genomic Testing

Genomic testing enhances the estimation of breeding values by incorporating DNA into traditional pedigree and performance data. This method, referred to as a singlestep genetic evaluation, ensures that all sources of information are analysed simultaneously, resulting in genomically enhanced breeding values (EBVs). The advantages of this approach include: Improved relationship estimates: Even with incomplete pedigree information, genomic testing provides more accurate genetic relationship assessments.

Enhanced trait accuracy: Traits difficult or expensive to measure can be evaluated with higher accuracy.

· Selection accuracy early in the animal's life: Younger animals can be assessed more accurately, aiding early selection decisions.

Figure 3. Example of relationships between animals in a single step genetic evaluation. Utilisation of genomic relationships enables a more precise estimate to be made of the relationship to each animal in the pedigree, while also enabling the relationship to be estimated to animals in the genomic reference population.

Figure 4. The accuracy of genomic selection as the size of the genomic reference population increases for traits with varying heritability.

Practical Implementation in Angus Breeding

Implementing genomic technology in breeding programs involves several steps:

1. Sample Collection: DNA samples can be collected from birth using Tissue Sample Units (TSUs) or from tail hairs as the

calf matures i.e. at weaning. Integrating DNA collection with routine tasks like calf weighing and tagging or marking ensures collection efficiency.

2. Sample Types: Angus Australia accepts tail hairs, semen straws, or tissue

COLLECT DNA AND SUBMIT

Birth Marking Weaning

samples for genomic testing, with TSUs being the preferred method.

3. Genomic Products: TACE incorporates data from HD50K and AngusGS products. These results are standardized to ensure comparability, though differences in pricing and turnaround times exist.

4. Testing Strategy: The scope of testing can vary based on objectives—ranging from individual animals to entire calf drops. Either the entire calf crop or high value animals are common strategies many seedstock breeders use i.e. Donor dams, bulls to be used, retained heifer candidates

Members are encouraged to collect DNA and submit it to the TACE analysis early in the animal's life to take advantage of the information and increased accuracy ahead of making breeding decisions. Genotyping early and adding performance measurements as the animal matures will ensure the EBV has the most stability (less change after adding additional performance data) rather than genotyping later.

5. Enhanced Trait Accuracy using genomics for 200 Day Weight EBV Accuracy

Take Home

Having an impact

MAKE AN INFORMED SELECTION DECISION

Selected as a mating candidate / sale animals

Entering the breeding herd

Research by the Animal Genetics & Breeding Unit has shown that incorporating genomic data in the single step evaluation enhances the predictive ability of EBVs by an average of 25% in the Angus breed, with improvements ranging from 7% to 37% depending on the trait. This increased accuracy translates to more stable EBVs and more reliable breeding decisions, ultimately leading to genetic progress in the herd.

6. Increase in EBV predictive ability observed across traits with the inclusion of genomics

Figure 7. Average change in accuracy of validation animals across all traits by breed.

Source: Johnston, D. J., Ferdosi, M. H., Connors, N. K., Cook, J., Girard, C. J., & Swan, A. A. (2023). BREEDPLAN single-step genomic evaluations deliver increased accuracies across all breeds and EBVs

The integration of genomics into Angus cattle breeding represents a large shift in traditional breeding concepts based on pedigree, providing breeders with powerful tools to unlock the genetic potential of their herds earlier in the animal’s life. By understanding and utilizing genomic information, breeders can make informed decisions that enhance the quality and productivity of their cattle, allowing breeders to more accurately select cattle that suit their own breeding objective and production system.

Recent collaboration between AGBU, Sheep Genetics, Angus Australia and Neogen Australasia has enabled much of the content in this article and the new education centre module to be developed. Angus Australia thanks those companies and staff for their efforts and encourages interested parties to also undertake further reading by downloading a copy of the DEMYSTIFYING DNA BOOKLET.

For further information on genomic testing and its application in Angus breeding, visit the Angus Education Centre Module

Figure

Figure

FRIDAY 16TH AUGUST 2024 1PM

BULLS THAT ARE

O Genomics Tested

O Semen Morphology Passed

O Fully Vaccinated

O Sire Verified

O Freeze Branded

O Independently Structurally Scored

SIRES REPRESENTED

Dunoon Prime Minister P758

Millah Murrah Rembrandt R48

Millah Murrah Parratrooper P15

Millah Murrah Nugget N266

Milwillah Krakatoa N426

Karoo Realist N278

Alpine Ronaldo R232

Knowla So Right S48

OPEN DAY

WEDNESDAY 31ST JULY 2024 On Property at

All Sale Bulls penned for inspection.

Talking Genomics

How Are Genomically Enhanced Breeding Values Calculated?

Andrew Byrne, Senior Technical Product Specialist, Neogen Australasia

Genomic selection in seedstock animals most commonly involves the inclusion of genomic profiles in existing industry genetic evaluations, such as the TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation, to calculate genomically enhanced breeding values.

Genomically enhanced breeding values enable more accurate selection decisions, earlier in an animal’s life, and for additional traits and animals, and ultimately, greater genetic improvement.

This edition of talking genomics discusses how genomic information is incorporated in the calculation of genomically enhanced breeding values within the TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation.

Single Step Genetic Evaluation

The manner in which genomic information is included in industry genetic evaluations is often referred to as a ‘single-step’ genetic evaluation, reflecting that genomic profiles are analysed simultaneously with other sources of information (e.g. pedigree, phenotypes), placing appropriate emphasis on all available sources of information, to calculate a single, genomically enhanced breeding value.

A unique feature of single-step genetic evaluation is that breeding values can be calculated for both animals with and animals without genomic profiles. This differs to some earlier approaches that could only handle individuals with genomic profiles.

Likewise, in contrast to some earlier approaches, a ‘genomic breeding value’ is not calculated in a single step genetic evaluation, only the overall, genomically enhanced breeding value that is published.

GENOMICS

PEDIGREE

BREEDING

Figure 1. In industry genetic evaluations, such as those conducted by BREEDPLAN, Sheep Genetics and DataGene, genomic profiles are analysed simultaneously with other sources of information (e.g. pedigree, phenotypes) to calculate a single, genomically enhanced breeding value.

Analytical Approaches for Incorporating Genomic Information

There are a number of different analytical approaches for incorporating genomic information in the calculation of breeding values within a single-step genetic evaluation. The TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation utilises a ‘relationship’ approach.

In the relationship approach, the incorporation of genomics is about ‘animal relationships’.

In a simplistic form, a breeding value is calculated by a) estimating the relationship between an animal and the other animals in the genetic evaluation, and b) using the performance information that has been collected for the animal and the animals to which it is related to predict an animal’s breeding value.

The more closely an animal with a phenotype is related to the target animal

• Rol o l & mi x fuull rattiion n

• H an a d dles es all ll graain n s

• Pre r ciisi s on c ho h p l leng th h of o fibrous prooduuct t

• C us u t tomi m se your r op i ti t on o s

• Var a io ious us disch h c ar arge ge el e ev e at a or o s to sui u t al a l ap a pl p iccat a ioons s

whose breeding value is of interest, the more influence that its performance has on the breeding value being calculated. In traditional, pedigree based genetic evaluation, the relationships between animals are determined by pedigree alone.

In a genetic evaluation that incorporates genomics using the ‘relationship’ approach, the relationships between animals are determined by combining pedigree and genomic information.

Utilisation of genomic relationships, being the genetic relatedness between two animals based on their genomic profiles, improves estimation of the relationship between animals in the genetic evaluation, and ultimately results in the calculation of more reliable breeding values.

Genomic relationships enable: the relationship between animals to be estimated when no, or incomplete pedigree information is available; a more precise estimate to be made of the genetic relationship between two animals who are related by pedigree. i.e. rather than assuming an animal has 25 percent of its genes in common with each grand parent (based on the law of averages), genomics assesses the random shuffle of chromosomes the animal has inherited to provide a more precise indication of the proportion of genes that an animal has in common with each relative;

the relationship between animals unrelated by pedigree to be determined, and any performance information that is available on these animals to be used in the calculation of the animal’s breeding value. e.g. pedigree may indicate that two animals are unrelated, but in reality, genomics indicates

Figure 2. Example of relationships between animals in a traditional genetic evaluation. Based on pedigree relationships, the animal is estimated to have 50% of genes in common with each parent, 25% of genes in common with each grandparent, and 25% of genes in common with each of its half siblings.

that they share a proportion of genes in common. This is particularly advantageous as it allows the performance information of animals in the genomic reference population to be utilised in the calculation of an animal’s breeding value.

Figure 3. Example of relationships between animals in a single step genetic evaluation. Utilisation of genomic relationships enables a more precise estimate to be made of the relationship to each animal in the pedigree, while also enabling the relationship to be estimated to animals in the genomic reference population.

Genomic Relationships in Practice

The real-world example below demonstrates how utilisation of genomic relationships improves the estimation of the relationship between animals in a single step genetic evaluation.

Based on pedigree information, Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 would be estimated to have a relationship of 0.5 with each of his progeny. Similarly, his progeny would each be expected to have a relationship of 0.25 with one another.

Genomic testing reveals that while, on average, these relationships are correct, the relationship between Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 and each of his individual progeny differs, while some of his progeny are more closely related to each other than they are with others.

Further Information

To further discuss the development of a genomic testing program for your livestock breeding program, contact staff at Neogen Australasia on +61 (7) 3736 2134, or visit our website, www.neogenaustralasia. com.au.

Figure 4. Genomic relationships between 2,259 progeny of Angus sire, Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15, in the TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation. (Source: AGBU).

Jim Tickle - 0439 518 113 or (02) 4992 1980 ∙ On property, Sugarloaf Creek, Dungog NSW

Member Service Matters

Adam Allingham – Member Services Manager

The cold season has arrived! As all our members know, winter farming with Angus cattle brings its own set of adventures and challenges.

The dropping temperatures and snowy landscapes can be tough, but with the right approach, your herd can not only survive but thrive during these chilly months. The Member Services team and I are here to support you through this season. We hope all our members have a successful and rewarding winter, and that your efforts yield fruitful results throughout these cold months.

In the month of May, I was fortunate enough to attend my first Beef Australia with the Angus team, and what an absolute experience it was! It was incredibly encouraging to witness the massive growth in our industry and the significant influence the Angus breed has had on beef cattle in this country.

Catching up with so many members was a highlight, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who stopped by the Angus stand for a chat and a catch-up! I would encourage members to consider attending a future Beef Australia, it is a great event to gain industry insights and build connections, both among the Angus membership and further afield.

The Angus Australia AGM also offered another opportunity to connect with more members and the Angus Board of Directors. At the AGM we were able to formally recognise some of our members who have reached significant milestones. Congratulations to all the members who received awards for their investment in both the breed and our society. Lastly, a very big congratulations to Angus Australia’s newly appointed President, Sinclair Munro, and Vice President, Peter Collins. I am eager to work through the changes and challenges we face as a society in the future with both of you.

2024 Spring Inventory

The 2024 Spring Inventories for our members with Spring calving seasons are now accessible for download via your member login on angus.tech. Please ensure your Spring Inventory is submitted to the Member Services Team no later than July 12th to allow for adequate processing time. The designated year letter for 2024 is ‘V’. Additionally, when utilising the database search tool to locate your animals, please note that the idents will include the year of their calving, such as ABC24V1.

Should you encounter any difficulties accessing your account or downloading your inventory, or if you prefer to receive a paper copy by mail, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team (02) 6773 4600 or via email at regos@angusaustralia.com.au. We are here to assist you.

Spring is the busiest period for our society, and the increased workload can affect the processing times for DNA results. Allowing sufficient time for lab results to return is essential.

As a general guideline, expect a turnaround of 6-8 weeks without the need for re-testing if an initial sample returns a negative result. I urge members to thoroughly inspect their samples before submission to maximize the chances of obtaining a positive outcome.

Please confirm TSUs (tissue sampling units) contain the tissue sample intact to prevent malfunction during retrieval from the animal and ensure proper sealing to prevent leakage and sample drying. Hair samples should ideally consist of a minimum of 25 follicles for optimal results. When sending samples to the society, place them in a sealed plastic bag before enclosing them in an envelope, post bag, or parcel.

Should you have any inquiries regarding the DNA services offered by Angus Australia, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Member Services Team.

Contact

Should you have any issues regarding Membership, Registrations, Transfers, Performance Recording, DNA, Export Certification, the Angus Australia website/ angus.tech or any general enquiries please call and speak to one of our Member Service Officers or myself either by email or phone 02 6773 4600.

I’m always happy to hear from members, please feel free to contact me directly: adam.allingham@angusaustralia.com.au. (02) 6773 4602.

Adam Allinghamand Andrew Byrne

Understanding Angus Australia’s DNA Services

Angus Australia, in collaboration with our partners, Neogen Australasia and Zoetis Animal Genetics, offer members a comprehensive range of DNA services for utilisation within their Angus breeding enterprise.

The provision of DNA services is part of Angus Australia’s commitment to ensure members and their commercial customers have access to world leading genetic evaluation technologies, and associated tools for genetic improvement, which will ultimately enhance the value and profitability of Angus genetics throughout the beef supply chain.

The DNA services that are available have a wide range of applications, such as the verification of parentage information,

the identification of carriers for recessive genetic conditions, improved accuracy of Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for Angus seedstock animals, and more accurate selection of replacement Angus females in commercial breeding programs. Developing a strategy for utilising the DNA services that are available within your breeding program can be daunting, but a number of staff at Angus Australia are available to provide assistance, along with staff at Neogen and Zoetis.

Angus Australia – DNA Services - Zoetis Animal Genetics

Contact staff at Angus Australia today on (02) 6773 4600 to discuss your DNA service requirements.

Information is also available by contacting staff at Zoetis on 1300 768 400, or Neogen on (07) 3736 2134.

Parentage Verification

DNA Sample Types

ANGUS for Northern Australia

Are you looking for information about

genetics in the Northern parts of Australia? For information resources, case studies, support materials and much more regarding the use of Angus genetics in the northern most areas of Australia, check in with the Northern Focus location now!

Palmer Valley Station

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

The Fogerty’s aggregation of properties run over varied environments around Australia, with their family running four properties: Palmer Valley Station in the Northern Territory, Tressavale and Rowleys Creek near Walcha, New South Wales and Spring Creek near Tamworth, New South Wales.

Family patriarch Ted Fogerty has been involved in the cattle industry for his whole life, growing up on a family property northeast of Alice Springs, where he was involved in his family’s cattle company. Leaving school at age 13, Ted began working in the industry full time from then on.

Following the dispersion of his family’s business to begin their own operations, Ted and his wife Sheri moved to Palmer Valley Station 30 years ago. Since that time, the Fogerty's have built their operation around the use of Angus genetics.

The business is truly a family one; Ted and Sheri who after running Palmer Valley for three decades have taken a step back in recent years and handed over the reins to daughter Jade and her partner Rory Simpson. Daughter Kristy and her husband Gerard Oversby run their properties in the New England region of New South Wales, which serve as their steer fattening locations. Their two other children, Elle and Ben, work in careers outside of the business.

In its beginnings, the Fogerty’s operation was originally a Brahman based herd. Approximately 20 years ago, the family made the decision to go into the Angus breed, finding the breed would be better suited in their operations for their temperament and market suitability and demand. Furthermore, the family entered the organic market with the Angus breed.

Calling the red centre home, the Fogerty family of Palmer Valley Station reside 150 kilometres south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, via the Stuart Highway.

Palmer Valley Station sits on just under one million acres of semi-desert country, comfortably running 3,000 breeders in full capacity, season permitting.

I like the shinier coat, because it's better for the heat. If they're a pretty woolly-looking animal I tend to avoid them because they carry that a bit longer and we find they knock up quicker when you are travelling or walking anywhere with them.

“We went to the blacks with the organic market,” said Ted. “We thought that was the best way to go and were one of the first to do that. We believed in them and followed them, and it worked out pretty well.”

When integrating Angus into their herd some twenty years ago, the Fogerty’s made sure to introduce the breed over a period of time.

“We started with bulls first and just crossed them with the Brahman cows,” said Ted. “Anything black, we kept. We just kept culling the Brahmans out as they got older. They turned out to a pretty nice herd after a fair few years.”

He continued, “Then the drought hit us, and then we had to get rid of most of it and we had to start again. But that’s what your dealt with.”

When it comes to selection for their Angus herd, Ted explained, “On our Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), there's probably about four things that we really target.

“Our main thing is birth weight in this area. You're not there watching them every day, you actually might only see them every couple of months, and you don't want them to lose their calf or jam up.”

The average yearly rainfall for the location is approximately six inches, and depending on the season can often result in less than average rainfalls in the area.

Of their current season, Ted said, “Our season this year, I wouldn't say it's great, but we will survive. I hope we get a bit more rain through the next coming months.”

When it comes to joining their herd, due to the variability of the rainfall in the region and the fact it falls throughout the year rather than in a primary season, the Fogerty’s join year-round, conducting two musters by horses annually.

“We haven't really got a pattern of joining. We can get our rainfall any month and if we were to try and do a set joining when it's so dry and you put them out and have them there for eight weeks, sometimes it doesn't even work. So, we just leave them in there and do two musters a year.”

Using a ratio of three bulls to every 100 cows, calf rates sit at about 75% to 85% over the two brandings yearly.

Cows are pregnancy tested and are typically culled from the mob when empty. Further to that, females are culled on phenotype. However, Ted highlights that caution must be applied when culling animals when weaning twice a year.

When introducing bulls into their operation the Fogerty’s take care to select bulls that they believe will integrate well into their environments.

“Usually, I try and talk to the producers and get their views on bulls. The people

that sell them, you try and talk to them and see what they reckon is good quality,” said Ted.

“They talk us through it a bit and what they like and then what you like. We go through all the EBVs with what we know.”

The aim is to have the bulls on property anywhere between 12-15 months of age, arriving in approximately March/April to acclimatise before the warmer months.

“They come from down south with its cold weather. Then they come up to the heat, so you're better off bringing them up March or April.

“They get used to temperature during the winter, then they come into the summer, and they don't even know it.”

When describing his preferences for the bulls they use in their operation, Ted said, “I like the shinier coat, because it's better for the heat. If they're a pretty woolly-looking animal I tend to avoid them because they carry that a bit longer and we find they knock up quicker when you are travelling or walking anywhere with them,” said Ted.

Bulls are semen tested to ensure fertility. Currently, the Fogerty’s purchase Angus bulls for a seedstock operation that they run themselves and use bulls they have bred themselves within their wider commercial operation.

After purchasing their Angus bulls, typically from the more southern states, the Fogerty’s keep the bulls close in order for the family to ensure they are adapting well. An important consideration as well for the Fogerty’s is the different management practices utilised in the North that animals are not familiar with in southern operations, such as trapping systems.

“We keep them around here for at least eight weeks and then we set area up so they can actually walk through our trapping systems,” said Ted.

“They walk in and out of the trapping systems around here and we make it so that we put more arms in so by the time they go out, if they do wander, they're used to the traps. They're not hanging around the waters, perishing.

“They're all used to that before you let them go. But even when you do let them go, you open your spears up so they can actually walk in fairly easily without the spears touching them, which they get used to pretty quick and then they're just like the rest of the herd.”

With their herd, the Fogerty’s have the ability to chase the dominant market at any given time.

“We target wherever the market is at the time. The last couple of years, you've been getting weaners and turning them off between $1,500 and $2,000 and that’s where the market was at so why would you hold them for any longer?

“Now that the market has come back, we have just been growing them out a bit bigger. They're still making good money when they're growing up a bit, but the smaller cattle aren’t making as much, so wherever the market is on the day, we target that.

“We try and work to the feedlot types. But if the market means weaners are making good money, well, you quit them and then you can spell your country and save it for something else later in the year.”

When asked about the challenges that the family face in their business, Ted highlighted the threat of wild dogs as an issue for them.

“We get a lot of feral dogs, and a lot of people don't like trying control it,” said Ted.

“‘They don't reckon that's the first priority and I think that's one of the first priorities for us.

“If there's a lot of dogs and you lose up to five calves a week, that's a lot of calves over 12 months. We try and control that as much as you can. There are also the feral camels, which are another problem.”

While running in an area of the country more highly dominated by bos indicus breeds, Ted believes that their country lends itself well to running Angus cattle.

“There are Angus around us,” he said. “It's soft country, so Angus will handle it pretty good. It's not like further north where you get into the Brahman or bos indicus breeds.

“Buffel grass is probably the main thing in the central Australia for most places and I think it’s good because it’s made a lot of country. For us, it's definitely made a lot of this desert country.”

In fact, in retrospect Ted believes that he had his time again, he would get into the Angus game earlier then the family did.

“I would have gotten into Angus sooner, but it's just what was here when we bought it,” he said. “The market didn't allow you to change at the time.”

Previous to the development of Ted and his own family’s business, there was a bos taurus influence with his family’s existing cattle business.

“We had Hereford cattle previously, and we were bringing them across however our family were all in the same company then.”

“I probably would have got the Hereford and then put Angus over them for the black baldies,” he said.

“We couldn't get rid of the Brahmans for a fair while, so we just went for the Brahmans and bought Brahman bulls. That's where we were for probably the first seven or eight years before we started to go into the Angus side of it.”

When reflecting on their use of Angus at Palmer Valley and why it works for them, Ted said, “It's a market. You can sell them anywhere in Australia, and they're good cattle to deal with.

“ “

We believed in them and followed them, and it worked out pretty well

“All the genetics we've got, we've had good cattle. They're quiet and easy to deal with. You drive around, they don't run away.

“We've never had any problem with them. We deal with Angus both here and in the New England. The Angus can handle the cold and handle the heat which is perfect.”

When looking at the future of their business, Ted is positive about where the family stands currently, with the next generation of their family stepping up in the business.

“I have got out of the business a bit and am letting my kids have a go as the next generation coming into it, and hopefully, they can make a go of it,” he said.

“My daughter and her partner run Palmer Valley Station now. They've been here for nearly two years, and they're doing a good job. They're a bit more into the genetics side than I am.”

He continued, “One of my other daughters, Kristy, is in the New England, she's getting right into it running those properties. My other daughter Elle is a schoolteacher, and my son Ben is a heavy diesel mechanic.”

Reflecting on the journey of the business to where it is today, Ted believes that the biggest achievement is the growth of business.

“I started from Palmer Valley, and I've got four places now,” he said. “If I fell off the perch, all my kids would have a place each. That's what my parents did for us, and now I've done it for my kids, and I hope they can do it for theirs.”

“Our biggest opportunity is having our places which is a pretty hard thing to get now, as it’s hard to try and get into these places. If you're a family-owned business they cost a lot of money now, so it’s a big opportunity for us.”

Quality Angus genetics prove their worth in tough northern conditions

Kylie Nicholls, National Agricultural Features ACM

Using Angus genetics in their large-scale northern beef operation has added weight gain and fertility to the AppletonCattle Company’s herd, helping them to produce an ideal steer for the organic market.

Fred and Loid Appleton and their families run the Appleton Cattle Company breeding and fattening business, which covers more than two million hectares across Queensland, with properties in the state’s central and northern regions, as well as channel country in the south-west.

Always striving to improve the quality of their herd, Fred Appleton introduced Angus bulls to their mix of sires about 10 years ago and continues to be impressed with the breed’s maternal attributes, hardiness, growth and carcase traits.

“Initially we decided to trial Angus bulls over our Droughtmaster cows and were really pleased with the results,” Mr Appleton said.

“We’re getting an improved pregnancy rate and the weaners are visually sappier and fatter.

“But most importantly, due to the increase in weight gain, the turn-off of our steers is about six months earlier and returning a higher carcase weight on the hook.”

Mr Appleton has continued to join the Angus to his Droughtmaster cows, as well as some Santa Gertrudis, and is moving towards running a dominant Angus herd on their properties in the Alpha district and at Naryilco Station near the border with NSW.

The northern cross breeding operations are a mix of Brahman, Simmental and Charolais, while a Shorthorn-cross is run on the channel country near Bedourie.

“Our long-term aim is to continue to increase our Angus content within our breeding operations and we have been keeping a portion of the Angus-cross heifers and joining them back to Angus bulls as part of the program,” Mr Appleton said.

“The desired result will be having around 10,000 predominantly Angus breeders in the business.

“Another advantage with the Angus-cross females is that they are maturing earlier, so we can join them at a younger age, which in turn is providing a faster return on calving results.”

Appleton Cattle Company has been buying its Angus bulls from Qld-based studs, Bulliac Angus at Miles, and Bauhinia Park near Emerald, with a focus on frame size, growth, and carcase attributes.

“We keep our bull selection pretty simple, I don’t get carried away by performance figures,” Mr Appleton said.

“We want big, growthy bulls that have a good fat coverage to assist in producing our end product, an organic bullock on the

We are looking forward to hosting the tour, sharing our part of the world and showcasing the success the Angus breed “ “

hook that is meeting high Meat Standards Australia grading.

“We want to achieve our target weights in a short space of time.

“I will look at 600-day weight and also target fat cover to make sure they’re not just a big, raw-boned animal as a twoyear-old.”

Mr Appleton said sourcing their Angus genetics from local seedstock producers ensured the bulls could handle a range of environmental conditions and “stood up well” in their country.

To help meet their annual Angus bull requirements, Appleton Cattle Company has also established a small herd of 100 registered Angus cows to supply a portion of home-bred bulls for their commercial herd.

Fred and Loid Appleton introduced Angus bulls to their Queensland organic beef operation, Appleton Cattle Company, more than 10 years ago and continue to be pleased with the breed’s performance

Under the management of Mick Busby, recent bull purchases include Bulliac Nintendo N130

and Spry’s W-Paratrooper R601. An annual artificial insemination program is also carried out using leading Angus genetics including Texas Iceman R725, from Macka’s Angus.

The company has also introduced a controlled breeding program. The cows are joined for four months from January through to April, with the first calves hitting the ground in September.

“As we are getting more and more Angus influence coming through in the breeders, the herd quality has improved, particularly in both our conception and calving rates,” Mr Appleton said.

“The cows are pregnancy tested each year and any empty cows and heifers are sold which continues to help lift the fertility of our herd.”

Depending on the season, the calves are weaned through June and July and fattened on their highly productive buffel grass country at Alpha.

In an effort to open up more market options, the Appleton Cattle Company became certified organic in 2014, and consistently receive a premium for their steers, with the majority going to Arcadian Organic and Natural Meat Co.

“It was an easy change for us as we were already operating organically in many ways,” Mr Appleton said.

“It has been a great opportunity for our company and greatly assisted our business’s growth in recent years.

“If we can get a young animal in that two to 2.5 year-old bracket at a carcase weight of 330 to 340kg with good fat cover, it means we’re producing a quality animal for the organic market.

HERD, BREEDING

“The Angus breed has given our operation fertility, weight for age, fat cover and uniformity and if the weather fails, we have a backup plan as you can get a premium for a Angus-cross feeder steer as opposed to a Brahman.”

Appleton Cattle Company is looking forward to being part of the World Angus Forum, which is being held in Brisbane, Qld, in May 2025. As part of the conference program’s extensive post-tour event, Fred and Anna Appleton will host visitors to Islay Plains Station, Alpha.

“We are excited to be part of the post-tour event,” Mr Appleton said.

“We are looking forward to hosting the tour, sharing our part of the world and showcasing the success the Angus breed is having in a natural, organic, grass-fed environment, and what that means for our business.”

Starting 11:30am, “Brooksby” Bundarra

Open Day - 9 July 2024, “Brooksby” Bundarra

44 2yo carcase bulls that will produce steers to suit all markets, backed by a great cow herd PLUS

23 Yearling low birth weight bulls

All sires are proven breeders in both our stud and commercial herd.

Catalogue online at Angus Australia or www.glenwarrah.com.au or email us on glenwarrahbrooksby@gmail.com

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Following his grandfather's footsteps

Julia Wythes, National Agricultural Features and Special Publications

From the time he could walk, Matt Lee trailed after his grandfather as he worked with cattle. And after years of watching him work, today Mr Lee is putting his own stamp on the property that has been in the Lee family for more than a century. But to this day, he still has plenty of help from his grandfather.

Mr Lee and his wife Jessica, Leebrooke, run an Angus herd on 325 hectares of leased and their own land near Stratford Victoria after carrying it on after his grandparents Brendan and Margaret Lee.

His grandfather used to run Herefords, but after switching to Angus, Mr Lee is taking the herd to a whole new level.

"There are more selling options with Angus," he said.

Animal welfare has always been a priority at Leebrooke.

"My grandpa was pretty big on animal welfare, and every school holidays I would be here helping them. For me, farming is where I find happiness, because that's what you did as a kid and it's like returning to a place you belong," he said.

The Lee family has joined the Greenham's Never Ever Beef Program, which ensures animals have been humanely handled, no use of antibiotics and no grain feeding.

"But it means at the other end there is a premium," he said. Mr Lee is working hard to improve his herd, which he hopes will reach 200 breeders next year. But his cows must fit the bill.

"They need good structure and good feet with a straight topline, but I like a bit of depth as well. We started farming in a drought, but I've found anything with good rib fat hangs on that little bit longer when it starts to get tough."

But none of this is guesswork - Mr Lee has a method for selecting the right cattle.

"I tag every calf at birth. Then at weaning I weigh everything, and check structure. I go back and look at their data. I'll check their mother's age, and that she is a good milker and has good structure. I also check that she had gotten in calf during the first cycle. And through that I will select the best 20 heifers that fit that criteria.

"I figure if I do it for five or so years, I should have my best breeders that are structurally sound and fertile, so I won't have to do it forever. By putting a tag in their ear and recording their birth date, you can identify their mother and who their sire is, because I put out one bull at a time. As my numbers grow, the next step will be using the HeiferSELECT program run by Angus Australia".

It was actually Mrs Lee who got him thinking this way - she runs their Leebrooke Australian White sheep stud. They run about 100 stud ewes.

There are more selling options with Angus “ “

It was seeing Mrs Lee's techniques within the stud that gave Mr Lee the idea to start tagging his calves.

"You can put your cattle all in a pen with no tags and choose the biggest ones, but I've found some of the best looking breeding cattle have bad fertility," he said. "You want every breeder to get in calf in the first or second cycle, so you're breeding better fertility.

"The thing with data tracking is you can't manage what you don't measure. You can have a calf that's say 30 kilograms, and then when you go to wean it 280 days later you can see what weight gain it has had."

When it comes to selecting sires, Mr Lee has his eye on milk. Both his grandfathers were cattle farmers and the one thing they agreed on was the milk factor - without the milk, growth means nothing.

"I want good structure, but I really want to see good milk in his breeding. You can

get a good steer with carcase merit and growth, but at the same time, you want a heifer to be a good future breeder," he said. "We also look at feet, maternal strength, fertility, growth and structure. We've got a young family, so we focus on temperament."

He looks at a type when choosing bulls, not a stud.

Before joining, Mr Lee brings the cows in for a drench, a Multimin, and depending on the season, gives the cows silage with a bit of Causmag to boost their nutrition. Cows are joined from the end of April until the middle of July. Spring joining falls from mid-October to December.

"I preg test from 18 weeks to six weeks, if I have the bulls out for 12 weeks. So through that I worked out most cows are getting in calf in the first or second cycle. It does come down to nutrition - this year I had four sets of twins."

Heifers are put through a 10-day AI program.

"The benefit of the fixed time AI is you use a low birthweight bull, and they calve within three or four days of each other. You also get the benefits of elite genetics that most commercial breeders couldn't justify if you were to just buy the bull."

Calves are yard-weaned for three to five days when they are eight to 10 months old depending on how they settle.

"My grandpa Brendan was always big on temperament and showed the importance of spending time with the herd. So now when I feed out silage or drive through to check on the cows, I walk through them at an early age, so they wean pretty well because they are used to people."

He picks out the best heifers to keep, then separates steers from surplus heifers.

"The heifers that are tagged for export are kept ticking along, while the retained heifers and steers will go onto a millet crop this year."

Steers are aimed to reach 350 to 400kg before being sold at Leongatha.

Mr Lee plans to reach up to 300 breeders. "I hope in the future every heifer that hits the ground will fit the bill as a future breeder and be sought-after," he said.

IT’S A SIGN OF BETTER PRODUCTIVITY AND ANIMAL HEALTH

‘Immune Ready’ is a guideline for the care of sale cattle. It helps protect cattle in the preparation, transport and arrival post sale.

FOR BUYERS

It reduces the risk of disease in purchased cattle

It improves farm biosecurity

It improves animal health and welfare

FOR SELLERS

It prepares your cattle for potential disease challenges

It allows you to promote and sell premium cattle

It helps safeguard against disease and improve productivity

Learn more about Immune Ready Guidelines

Weaner focus paying off

Kylie Nicholls, Journalist, National Agricultural Features

Producing top quality Angus weaners is the focus for large-scale Tasmanian beef and dairy operation, Rushy Lagoon, with their calves in strong demand from local and mainland backgrounders.

Owned by well-known New Zealand potato farmer and businessman Alan Pye, the Rushy Lagoon Pastoral enterprise covers three properties in the state's north-east, totalling 7689 hectares.

Under the care of long-time manager Rodney Moore, they currently run 4000 predominantly Angus breeders, as well as operating three rotary dairies, milking 2700 cows.

"We started with a traditional base of Hereford cows and have transitioned into Angus slowly," Mr Moore said.

"About two-thirds of our herd is pure Angus now, but we still have some Herefords and black baldy cows.

"The Angus do well where we are; they are hardy, productive and calve down easily.

"We run a lot of cattle and our in-calf rate is about 89 to 90 per cent, we don't have time to be pulling calves."

He uses a mix of visual assessment and estimated breeding values for his bull selection with a focus on structure, carcase quality and maternal traits such as calving ease and fertility.

"We look for thick, meaty, moderateframed bulls, with plenty of length and depth of body," Mr Moore said.

"Smooth shoulders for ease of calving is also important."

As far as performance figures go, Mr Moore places a lot of emphasis on birth weight, preferring a low to moderate birth weight of 3-4, particularly for the heifers, as well as selecting bulls that are above breed average for 400- to 600-day growth.

To meet the weaner market specifications, the cows are joined from October 22 to start calving in early August when the spring growth generally starts to take off.

A 10-week joining period is employed for the mature cows and six to seven weeks for the heifers to ensure sufficient recovery time before their second mating.

With Rushy Lagoon joining about 600 heifers each year, fertility is a key profit driver. All the heifers are pregnancy tested with this year's conception rates averaging 75pc, which Mr Moore was pleased with.

Long-time Rushy Lagoon Pastoral manager Rodney Moore, Rushy Lagoon, Tasmania, currently joins nearly 4000 predominantly Angus breeders as well as running three rotary dairies

The calves will run with their mothers through the summer, with Mr Moore aiming to sell the first draft at the annual calf sales at Powranna's Tasmania Livestock Exchange, starting in late February through to May. Depending on the season, Mr Moore aims to have the calves average about 250 kilograms live weight with the best of the steers weighing up to about 330kg.

"The calves go straight off their mums and onto the truck," he said.

"We take them off visually and they are then weighed and drafted into different weight categories at the sale yards.

"Last year we sold 1700 steer calves for a very good average.

"It won't be the same this year, but hopefully by the time February comes around, prices will have gone back up a bit."

All the heifers are weaned in early April, spending several days in the yards to settle them down, before moving onto highquality irrigated ryegrass and cloverbased pastures.

"Rushy Lagoon is home to 21 pivots, with 19 used across the dairy operation and two reserved to grow the weaner beef heifers out on," Mr Moore said.

"As we are primarily a cow-and-calf operation, we are very focused on the maternal side of the herd and we want to

breed quality heifers which will go on and perform for us."

About 600 heifers are kept each year as replacement breeders, with the remainder sold through the Powranna sales as weaned heifers.

Heifer selection is based on maturity, structural soundness, weight for age and femininity.

"We aim to have the heifers as heavy as we possibly can for joining but that can depend on the season," Mr Moore said.

"If it continues to be dry, we will cull the older cows and the dairy stock more heavily and focus on the heifer replacements and the irrigation helps us with that."

Plans are under way to upgrade the irrigation infrastructure, which will enable Rushy Lagoon to increase its beef cattle numbers up to 5000 breeders and expand its market options.

"Our country is not suited to fattening as the seasons can be variable and cut out very quickly," Mr Moore said.

"In the beef operation we would like to have the option to finish cattle off and the only way to do this is by installing more pivots."

As we are primarily a cow-and-calf operation, we are very focused on the maternal side of the herd and we want to breed quality heifers which will go on and perform for us."

Leave the jersey in a better place

Diana Wood, Marketing & Communications Manager

It goes without saying that every year the GenAngus Future Leaders program comes to its conclusion, that the faciliator, speakers and Angus Australia staff walk away (or fly in this case) wondering how that year can be topped, but what is clear is that each GenAngus cohort certainly ‘leaves the jersey in a better place’.

The ‘legacy’ that each cohort of GenAngus leaves behind continues to astound as we witnessed growth, mindset change, friendship and network development and increased confidence of the thirteen young leaders that made up the 2024 cohort, over four days in Christchurch New Zealand at the end of May.

Angus Australia Extension Officer, Nancy Crawshaw and facilitator Milly Nolan welcomed everyone to the 2024 GenAngus Future Leaders program with a proper Māori welcome and encouraged the leaders to immerse themselves in the mantra of ‘Kaitiakitanaga: Guardians of the land for future generations.’

Lessons in Leadership

Prior to GenAngus each attendee was sent a copy of James Kerr’s book, Legacy - What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life. Throughout the book, James Kerr goes deep into the heart of the world's most successful team, the New Zealand All Blacks, to help understand what it takes to bounce back from adversity and still reach the top.

It is a book about leading a team or an organisation - but, more importantly, about leading a life.

From the book the 15 lessons of leadership to focus on include:

1. Character

2. Adapt

3. Purpose – Why?

4. Responsibility

5. Learn

6. Whanau

7. Expectations

8. Preparation

9. Pressure

10. Authenticity

11. Sacrifice

12. Language

13. Ritual

14. Whakpapa

15. WRITE YOUR LEGACY

The central themes that came to the fore over the week always came back to ‘Whakapapa’ and ‘Whānau’.

Whakapapa: Be a good ancestor. Plant trees you’ll never see. Whakapapa is a Maori expression that signifies the interdependence of everything. One of the overarching responsibilities of being an All Black is to “leave the jersey in a better place.” This means to work incrementally toward a better collective outcome and to be a custodian of the future. For the All Blacks as well as other great organizations, the legacy is more intimidating than the opposition. Seeing this bigger picture really keeps things in perspective. All of a sudden, it’s not about you at all. The All Blacks have an expression, “You don’t own the jersey, you are just the body in the jersey.” This creates reverence and a deep commitment to a much larger purpose that for the All Blacks dates back over a century. Our whānau is defined by our whakapapa and the connections we hold. For others, your whānau is the people and the place

that you feel that you belong to, a part of your life that is deeply connected to your identity. Whānau relationships are different for everyone because they’re made up of unique individuals with different needs, personalities, opinions and ways of doing things.

To put this into perspective for GenAngus, their whanau is their Angus Family and the GenAngus Family they have joined and their whakapapa is ultimately their legacy, they are custodians of their land, the Angus breed and the GenAngus Future Leaders Program.

A program designed to challenge

With these lessons in mind, GenAngus kicked off with an ‘alumni takeover’ which saw Lori Fogarty, Pete McNamara and Zeke Bennet form the 2023 cohort take charge and lead the attendees through team building and ice breaker sessions which included asking complete strangers to have a conversation about beef and working out brain teasers.

The group then moved off site to for a bit of friendly competition at Velocity Karts and despite the wind not playing the game,

everyone (or most) managed to find a way to get the Blokarts moving, as well as enjoying the Driftkarts and bit of human foosball.

Day 1 finished with the formal dinner and insights from Rhys Roberts CEO Align Farms, Lynda Coppersmith CEO New Zealand Young Farmers, Angus Australia CEO Scott Wright and President Sinclair Munro and concluded up with a panel of 2023 GenAngus Alumni including Lori Fogarty, Zeke Bennett and Pete McNamara.

The Program

With an aim to equip participants with the necessary business skills and knowledge to kickstart their own beef cattle enterprise or elevate their existing ventures, GenAngus delivered a four-day intensive workshop, that saw participants will connect with a wide range of industry professionals on current and emerging themes impacting the future of beef production and the agricultural industry, including:

Pete Clark, 21 Whispers delved into mindset and set the participants up for their learning journey.

Simon Quilty, Global Agritrends, with a deep into the latest markets and his predictions for the future.

Jake Phillips, Angus Australia got the group thinking about breeding and genetics.

Richard Officer, Achmea Australia, shared insights into farm insurance and important on-farm risk mitigation strategies.

Grant Sidnam, Alistair King, Phil Creagh and Hayden Dillon, Hamilton Locke gave an all-important presentation on succession planning.

Angus Street, New Zealand Merino Company gave participants insight into team culture, attitude and leadership.

Diana Wood and Cheyne Twist, Angus Australia presented on Marketing 101 and the basics of a good branding and communications strategy.

Sarah Horrocks, Horrocks Media provided a breakdown of social media and digital marketing strategies.

Lawrence Field, RURAL CA Ltd. went through AgFinance and benchmarking.

Sir Graham Henry, former All Blacks Coach, gave an insight into legacy and culture about his time as head coach of the All Blacks during the building of the team becoming one the most successful sporting groups in the world.

Milly Nolan, DISC profiling for each of the participants and how this can assist in understanding themselves and others in their leadership journeys.

Marie FitzPatrick, Timperlea Angus shared about her experience being part of and then leading youth related events in the New Zealand agricultural industry, along with her experience in family succession.

James Knight, The Sisters Pastoral shared the insights, learnings and outcomes within his commercial Angus operation, including the wins and losses.

Rounding out the program was the highly anticipated Great debate where the topics: Being good looking is better than being smart’; ‘Angus cattle in Australia are better than New Zealand’ and ‘Generational turnover is more important than legacy,’ were enthusiastically argued.

To conclude the program, the group were invited to ‘leave their mark’ and develop ideas for the future through a SWOT

Analysis, that will see both GenAngus and the Angus breed succeed in to the future and ultimately ‘leave the jersey in a better place.’

An investment in the future

The success of the 2024 GenAngus Program would not have been possible without the support of the partners that ensure that this cornerstone of youth leadership in agriculture can continue.

Since 2019, Angus Australia’s alliance with specialist agricultural insurer Achmea Australia has supported more than 60 future leaders through the GenAngus Future Leaders Program. With the completion of the sixth program, Angus Australia would like to acknowledge Achmea Australia for their unwavering support to help nurture the next generation of agricultural leaders.

Emma Thomas, CEO of Achmea Australia addressed this year’s GenAngus participants, and congratulated the successful young beef industry leaders and acknowledged their commitment to advancing the beef industry.

Angus New Zealand sponsored two of their members, Emma Hussey and Jim Burrows to attend and Rabobank New Zealand sponsored the appearance of Lawrence Field to ensure the young leaders are armed with the financial knowledge they need to succeed in business.

The ‘legacy’ that each cohort of GenAngus leaves behind continues to astound as we witnessed growth, mindset change, friendship and network development and increased confidence of the thirteen young leaders that made up the 2024 cohort “ “

A: Lou and Simon Quilty, Pete McNamara, Sinclair Munro & Nancy Crawshaw, B: Scott Wright, Sean Wright, Luke Stuckey, C: Milly Nolan and Lori Fogarty, D: Murk Schoen, Tim Brittain & Emma Thomas, E: Kate Read Blokart, F: Sam Hayden shot put, G: Emma Hussey and Kate Reynolds, H: Luke Stuckey, Jake Phillips, Cody Best, Murk Schoen, Pete Clark & Jim Burrows

Catching up 12 months on from GenAngus

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Part of the story that is the GenAngus Future Leaders Program is the work that has continued on for our alumni once they have graduated and moved on from their time in the program.

Supporting the program this year was returning 2023 alumni Lori Fogarty, Zeke Bennett and Pete McNamara, who ventured across the ditch to run an alumni session with the latest GenAngus cohort. Taking the reins early on day one, Lori, Zeke and Pete put the latest group of GenAngus participants through their paces, getting them out of their comfort zones with a question-and-answer challenge, tasked with vox popping the local public. The task was a successful one, not only getting the group ‘comfortable with being uncomfortable’ but also breaking the ice for the participants, who were about to embark on spending the next few days in close confines.

Following the days sessions, the alumni joined the participants at the formal dinner function and partook in a panel session, mc’ed by course facilitator Milly Nolan.

During the panel session each panellist shared insights about what their time in the program meant for them, where they are as people and members of the industry now, the challenges they face and their aims for the future.

“I currently live in Goondiwindi in southeast Queensland,” said Lori. “I'm originally from a cattle station in the Northern Territory, and I am an agricultural teacher, so the students keep me occupied.

“They're pretty full on, but I love my job. I love where I live, and I love my background. I'm so much different to so many people here. Everyone here is different, and we're all in the same place, so that's awesome.”

For Zeke, being in agriculture is just one of many hats he wears each day. “I have a cattle farm in Gippsland, Victoria, and I also own a landscaping company in Sydney,” he said. “I do one week in Sydney, three weeks in Victoria, and that's what takes up my time.”

Coming back to GenAngus, Pete is the current Stud Manager at Gilmandyke Angus. “I currently manage a stud Angus herd at Orange, about three and a half hours west of Sydney,” he said. “I'm immersed in that business and everything else that we've got going on behind the scenes with our commercial herd and sheep flock as well.”

Reflecting on her twelve months since taking part in the program, Lori shared with the group where she is now and its comparison to where she was a year prior.

“Last year was a lot different for me,” she said. “I had broken my leg, which meant I had spent time out of work. I was on the tail end of five years of university.

“Then I came into this course, and I was at a completely different stage to everyone I was in the course with. I was the youngest person there, and I just felt like I was in a completely different stage. But just having those conversations we had at the course changed me a bit.

“Now I'm teaching, and I have a great job. I'm a lot happier. I’ve got a very supportive partner. My career, my whole outlook on life has changed. It's partly because of this course, partly because I’ve finished university, and that I can now play sport. It's been great and there is stuff that I've taken back from this course back into my own mentality, my own career and my life.”

Zeke shared with the group his vulnerabilities going into the program 12 months ago, and how his perspective changed over the course of the four days in Adelaide.

“When I came here 12 months ago, I came from a bit of a different background and I didn't really feel like I belonged,” said Zeke. “When I got here within the first day, that was all gone. I found that everyone was very accepting.

“Some of the things I've really taken away from the course is I felt like I was somewhat on the right track with what I had decided I wanted to do.

“But after leaving, I stuck to that trajectory, and I just ran as quick as I could. In the last 12 months, we've taken

on three more lease properties, bought some more good cattle, done a big embryo flush as well, which is quite big for us. This course was genuinely amazing, and I think it was very beneficial. I would say that I think back on it weekly, so, it’s definitely impacted my life.”

When looking at where he is situated now following a great deal of development in his place of work, Pete said, “There's a good challenge on the horizon for myself and the business to continue to grow. In terms of people management, in the last two years, I was brought in to be part of the senior management team at Gilmandyke Angus. We employ 11 full-time employees across the properties, only two of which are younger employees than myself.”

“I found it quite difficult at the time, to try and not necessarily tell older employees what to do or how to do it, but just to earn that respect or be able to have that conversation with them to essentially get my point across and continue to grow the business and obviously get the day-to-day jobs done but continue to improve right across the board.”

He continued, “I feel like 12 months of growth and just relying on what I've been able to learn and bounce ideas off other people within the industry, particularly networks from this program, to strengthen myself or have more confidence in myself to be able to do that.”

On reflection of the program and what they were able to take from the days they spent at GenAngus, the alumni all had some gems of wisdom for the 2024 cohort.

It's genuinely changed my life, and I'm so grateful that I was selected to be here. I recommend it to a lot of other people “ “

Joe Dewar with 2023 GenAngus Leaders Zeke Bennet, Pete McNamara and Lori Fogarty

“I'd say the networking,” said Zeke when asked about the biggest take homes for himself. “I didn't really have a network before I came here, and on a day-to-day basis when things are happening or you need to ask someone, I now have not just one, but multiple people that I can call, which is really nice.”

He continued, “When I'm calling these people, a lot of who I met here, it's really nice to be able to call them and there's no judgement. It's just such a supportive community. It doesn't matter how big or small or how long you've been in it.”

For Lori, one anecdote stood out from her GenAngus experience, “One night after all of the speeches, Scott Wright and I had a brief conversation about Scott wanting to have a tour around Central Australia. I remembered that and I contacted Scott at the start of this year and said, if you still want to do it, I'll organise everything. You book the car, let's go.

“Even though it's taking the time out of my 12 weeks of school holidays, we've got three days, jam-packed, touring of premium desert country in Central Australia. It's just little things like that in making the most of your opportunities and I can't wait for it because I'm going places that I've never been before, and it'll be great.”

When looking at their futures within the industry 12 months on from GenAngus, each of the alumni are going through the building blocks to reach their personal goals.

“My biggest challenge probably comes with the parts that I'm most happy with,” said Pete. “But I feel like I almost challenge myself to do better at those things that I was happy about. I think whilst it doesn't necessarily sound like a big challenge, I'll probably be quite harder myself to continue to improve and push myself to be better.”

In terms of how is looking to improve himself in the workplace, he continued, “I think being accepting of problems and issues that our employees face outside of work and work hours goes a long way with respect and earning it back.

“Alternatively, I've tried to be a bit harder on myself about levelling a work-life balance and to try and somewhat step away and just take a little bit of time to myself and focus on something for me, whether that's been a physical activity or just catching up with mates that I don't often get to see.”

“My goals change every single day,” said Lori. “I've got so many ideas, but obviously, being an ag teacher, my passion is with future generations and that opportunity that I believe is quite lacking for young people getting into agriculture, or for people that are in agriculture and them taking those steps forward as school-age kids, not really getting the most out of what's there.”

“My goal is to create programs in any situation that I can to make agriculture accessible for kids that don't have that opportunity, for those not from farming areas or who have never had that privilege of growing up on property around farming themselves,” she said. “My ability to achieve it has changed but speaking to so many people in the education industry and in agriculture, there's so much untapped potential for that.

“Before I got accepted into last year's GenAngus, I didn't really know anything about it,” Lori shared.

“I was relatively new to Angus Australia, and prior to GenAngus had only been to the LiveEX Conference with the Angus Foundation before. Before that, my situation where I grew up, you didn't really get involved in these sorts of things because it wasn't really accessible.

“Coming into this, I had no clue what was about to happen. Then coming out of it, there's so many things that I took back from the program. For example, I still tell Mum and Dad about what Simon Quilty spoke about.”

Highlighting the relevance of what she learnt from the program and the transferable skills she developed, Lori also touched on that being involved in your agricultural leadership journey may not necessarily be on-farm, “I also think about the 1% things a lot. I'm not on my family farm and I can't really make the most out of it as a lot of you can that are on farms.

“But I took many different things from the program and the networks and friendships that I've made, so I encourage you make the most of them. You're in the room with some of the most interesting, intelligent people in Australia and New Zealand.”

Zeke had some concluding words for the group in the room that night, but also for people who will be taking part in GenAngus in the future, “You were obviously selected to be here, and I think it's a really great opportunity that you've been given so just take full advantage of it. Learn as much as you can. Ask questions. Don't feel worried to look silly. I don't think there's really any silly questions. One other big thing is to make yourself vulnerable.

“It's genuinely changed my life, and I'm so grateful that I was selected to be here. I recommend it to a lot of other people.”

Lori Fogarty

Simon Quilty & Pete McNamara

Zeke Bennett, Lori Fogarty, Pete McNamara & Milly Nolan

Zeke Bennet, Heidi Wright & Jaymee Koch

The fundamentals of success

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

The GenAngus Future Leaders Program formal dinner was an evening of insights for the 2024 cohort, with presentations from several members from not only the beef industry, but the agricultural industry as a whole.

Keynote speaker for the night was Rhys Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of Align Farms and the 2022 New Zealand Zanda McDonald Award recipient.

Rhys provided a different perspective, coming from his role at the helm of a majority diary centred business. Within his presentation, Rhys touched on the Canterbury based company, the diversity of the product within the various Align businesses and the management philosophies of the company.

“With our group strategy at Align Farms, we break into three pillars as a business,” said Rhys. “Social and environmental leadership, new thought leadership and brand leadership.”

Covering what he has learned during his career, Rhys touched on his key personal learnings and his fundamental recommendations for long term success. You get from life what you negotiate, not what you deserve – “I spent my whole life working as hard as I could because I thought, if I worked harder, opportunities were going to come my way,” said Rhys. “Don't get me wrong, I built a reputation. But it wasn't until I actually understood that it was what I can negotiate that are the greater opportunities.

“I think the last five years, I've improved my negotiation skills. This has probably actually got me further in life than the 15 years working bloody hard. So, for me, I'm a huge believer of getting your head down, working hard, getting lots of jobs done, doing a lot of learning. But at the end of the day, use that, learn from it and take that to another level by improving your negotiation skills. It's a real critical step.”

Respect over popularity – “In our business of a hundred odd people, it's challenging not to try and be the most popular person, which will get you nowhere,” said Rhys. “The harsh reality is respect will always beat popularity. Your integrity is everything.

“I'm a big believer of chasing respect over popularity. It's always great to be the most infamous person in the country and the most famous person in the country. But ultimately, if you want to challenge the status quo and continue to grow as an individual, it will always be your respect that gets you through with your integrity.”

You can learn what’s been done from within your industry, however, you can learn what could be done from outside your industry – “Every farmer is like, right,

let's go advertise into Farm Source but that's where everyone is. It's actually the people outside the industry that actually have the biggest impact.

“90% of the people that want to work on farms don't know how to get in. For me I'm a big believer, if you want to go learn something new, you’ve got to get outside the industry.

“You can't just keep going to the same places because if it’s just this group all you learn is how it's been done in the past. If you want to learn how it could be done in the future, get as far away from the industry as you can.”

The things money can buy don’t get remembered, however, the things you can’t buy with money do – “It's very easy to fall into a trap to try and buy love as an employer. And we've all been there, but a simple hello, goodbye, thanks for your day. Handshake, wink, fist pump, whatever that might be, is going to go a long way.”

“At the end of the day, you go and talk to your staff member about the pay rise you gave them 10 years ago. Good luck if they remember that, but they'll always remember that time you said thank you for hard work or gave them a fist bump or gave them some groceries or some veggies or whatever that may be.

“It's the simple stuff that goes a long way. So, for me, I'm always focusing on what are the things that money can't buy. The money can't buy experiences. People turn up to your house, cooking them a chocolate cake for their birthday, or they turn up to your house and you know that they love lamb, so you just happen to have lamb on. They love red wine, so you have red wine on the table.”

“They are the places that will take you further long term in my eyes than just saying, hey, here's two grand, or, hey, do you want a pay rise.”

During the evening, the GenAngus group was also joined by Lynda Coppersmith, the Chief Executive Officer of NZ Young Farmers. NZ Young Farmers was founded in 1927 and is an integral part of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector. It currently has approximately 1,600 members and over 60 clubs nationwide.

Sharing about the origins of NZ Young Famers, the legacy of the organisation and the impact that it has had on New Zealand for almost 100 years, Lynda stated, “Young Farmers started out as a group of young men, who would get together for social reasons to share or to have a beer on a Thursday night,” she said.

“In our early days, we did a lot of exchanges, and these groups of young farmers would get on ships and go across to the other side of the world and look at what people were doing overseas in farming and bring their stories and their knowledge back to New Zealand. It was a really important part of growing our knowledge about what farm practises were across the world were like.

“Going forward, about another 30 years from when they started, we merged with the Country Girls Association.

“56 years ago, we started Young Farmer of the Year, which started as a radio show and knowledge quiz.

"We have seven regions in New Zealand for young farmers, and each region starts out with an open entry district level of competition. Then it goes through to a regional final.

Sinclair Munro & Scott Wright

Lynda Coppersmith and Nancy Crawshaw

“We run seven regional finals from February to April every year with eight regional finalists. We go from about 200 odd to 56 people, and then from those seven regions, we get our seven grand finalists. In 2000, we added two different categories to Young Farmer of the Year and now have Agri-Kids and Junior Young Farmer of the Year, which has created a whole new level of excitement for contests.

Lynda continued, “Young Farmer of the Year is New Zealand's top agriculture contest. It is very prestigious in our sector. We have many politicians, business leaders, industry leaders, chairs of big industry organisations, all who have come through the Young Farmers Network as members, and the majority of them have all competed at some stage.

“With the Agri-Kids and the Junior Young Farmers, we see them now coming back year after year and competing in the next level. What we're starting to see now with our Young Farmers is, some of them have competed in the Agri-Kids, some of them have been in the Junior Young Farmer over the years and they are passionate and connected to the sector because of that.

“They want to win, they want to succeed,” she said. “Perhaps without that drive and that focus, they might have got strapped elsewhere. It becomes very prestigious and something they get very passionate about.”

Newly appointed President of Angus Australia Sinclair Munro joined the evening’s festivities, and addressed the group about his fundamentals to success in business and drew on his learnings from the required reading of Legacy by James Kerr.

“Number one which I've done from an early age because I didn't really have much ability with sport and stuff, was I trained to win. I trained so hard. I wanted to ride my horse, and I wasn't very good at that, but I trained it. I trained to win rugby. I was the smallest guy in my whole school, and I ended up being in the A's rugby team. I think in your life you need to just train because if you train harder than everyone else, work harder than everyone else, the luck will come.

“I think you learn more working for other people than yourself. If you want to have a successful business, the most important thing you can do is go out and sweep the sheds. Do the hard jobs and work for someone else, because you need to feel like you're an employee. Then, when you become an employer, you need to remember what it feels like to be an employee and continue to do those basic jobs.

“We had to develop an animal that the customers want and that would work in our environment. We understood the market and we learned, so we've survived financially. But the big thing in life is that it’s pretty short, so you need to make continual improvements. Every day, you might not think that you're doing much, but you only have to make a small thing every day. Before you know it, you're going to be very old, but those improvements are going to be very big.

He shared, “In our business, in our personal life and in our family, there's four values that we maintain. The most important one is integrity. Integrity with your customers, with your suppliers and with your employees.

“Another one is commitment. Commitment to what we do, whatever it is. We commit to our customers, to our genetic changes, to Angus Australia and to Angus as a breed.

“Next is reliability. Personally, you need to be reliable to your friends, and you need to be reliable in your business to your customers, to your suppliers, and to everyone around you. And fourth, innovation is a core value. You need to be innovative the whole time. If you're not innovative, you won't change, and you won't survive.

“In the book, Legacy, it said to follow the spearhead. You need to fly together as a group. It's really important in our organisation, Angus Australia. We need to be a group with our members and our staff.

“Quite crudely is that there are no dickheads,” said Sinclair. “It's a crude term, but you need to identify how to not take them on, and that you need to just move without them. If they're going to be destructive, keep a spearhead. The other thing is to build this spearhead is you need to have the right people on the bus.”

Sinclair concluded with, “As you get older, you develop within yourself. But you need at some stage to pass the ball. It's really important, and that's probably the hardest thing to do, is to identify the right people, and to pass the ball.”

Summarising the achievements of those selected for the program, Angus Australia CEO Scott Wright said, “When you look around the room, it's a room filled with quality people that care about the next generation and we thank you for your part in this.

“Thank you to Achmea Australia for your sponsorship, allowing us to do so much more than we could otherwise. It's allowed our program to reach for the stars. We thank you for the long-term help and assistance, it's been a great partnership that we hope can keep going forward.”

He continued, “This year, we had something in order of 43 people that applied. It was really heartening to read each of the applications. Each time we have another cohort of people come along, it's harder and harder to get on the course.

“You should be very proud of yourselves to be selected. If this is the calibre of people that are coming through agriculture, then we've got something really to look forward to.”

To conclude the speakers for the evening, Achmea Australia CEO Emma Thomas made an address to the group on behalf of the specialist farm insurer that partners with Angus Australia to bring GenAngus to life.

“I really am privileged to be part of this GenAngus program, seeing the difference that it makes in people's lives,” she said.

“Hearing the panellists tonight and the keynote speaker was really inspiring.

“When you sign up to a program like this, it's about lifetime learning. You never stop learning and it doesn't matter what role you have and what stage and age you are at in your career. It's these opportunities that are just second to none.”

Scott Wright, Nancy Crawshaw & Rhys Roberts

Culture and connections, the driving force for success

Diana Wood, Marketing and Communications Manager

GenAngus can only be described as a personal journey for each person that attends, but the connections, the education and the growth that each person walks away with at the end are remarkable.

One thing that is amazing to see is that despite each person having applied to attend GenAngus for their own reasons and going through their individual GenAngus experiences during the event, how similar the themes are that come out when asked questions around their reasons for applying, their take homes and what they hoped to achieve.

GenAngus is a program that has been tailored to drive success and when you read about their experiences, there can be doubt that each of the incredible young leaders that made their way to Christchurch are well on their way.

Kate Reid, Inverell New South Wales, was encouraged to apply for GenAngus by somebody else that had done the program.

‘GenAngus has a really big reputation and that was one of the biggest drivers behind why I applied.’

‘I also wanted to do something different. I am really trying to work on my own personal growth so that I'm a better person, a better family member, friend and a better employee.’

Kate took a lot away from the Pete Clark, 21 Whispers session on mindset.

‘It’s all about having your mindset really well set up and ingrained and being consistent and persistent with that.’

Kate also enjoyed the topics that she does not know a lot about like finance, succession and insurance, ‘These are not topics that you are really taught at uni or something I am doing in my current role,

so it was something different to get a good experience with,’ she said

Nathan Mura from McKinlay in northwest Queensland applied for GenAngus because he wanted to meet like-minded people in the agricultural sector.

‘I didn't have much experience in the Angus seedstock business, and I knew there would be a lot of opportunities gained from this experience.’

Nathan believes he took something from the entire GenAngus program and the education opportunities it offers.

‘We've had some unbelievable experiences from financial presentations all the way through to mindset coaching, marketing, breeding and genetics, with all of those learning opportunities being second to none.’

‘On top of that has been the amazing opportunities to learn from some of the great minds both in agriculture but, also inspirational leaders outside of agriculture that have been opportunities you wouldn't usually get outside of a forum like this.’

‘One of the highlights was Sir Graham Henry, arguably one of the best rugby coaches of the common era.’

Murk Schoen, from Corowa in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales saw GenAngus as a program that drove, ‘Learning about ourselves, learning about the finer details of running a business, whether it's budgeting or succession planning, or learning about personality traits and how to get the most out of out of people and to adapt and change.’

Murk was fortunate to have been involved in the initial concept of GenAngus and had always said to himself that he would go back and apply.

‘There were so many things there that I feel that I needed to learn and to get some help with. For me this year there's been a pivotal change in our business, so it was kind of now or never. From what I understood the program had developed into over time, it was going to really assist me now in taking the next steps not only in our business but certainly throughout our local community and the broader ag community, so it was a no-brainer to apply now.’

When asked about some of his ‘wow’ moments at GenAngus, Angus Street of New Zealand Merino Company was a good one for Murk.

‘There were some home truths that I connected with and some things I have been kicking down the road for far too long that I know I need to adapt and change and deal with.’

‘I also think market insights with Simon Quilty was great in actually understanding to reach out and gather this information really precisely before we're making big decisions on farm.’

The breeding and genetics and budgeting sessions were also sessions that Murk got a lot out of.

‘It was bringing breeding decisions back to basics and putting some maths around your breeding decisions. With budgeting, it was just homing in and being able to

identify where we should direct our energy when it comes to the budget and that if we have limited time within our business, it's really important to analyse those things and know where we will get the most bank for buck.’

Sean Wright from Banana in central Queensland applied for GenAngus because of a ‘catchphrase’.

‘It’s networking coming here and learning and engaging with people who are likeminded and want to be doing the same things that you want to do; they want to innovate want to become better.’

‘The main thing that we've learned this week is creating a legacy in a culture that we can all follow.’

Having a background in rugby, the session with Sir Graham Henry was a highlight for Sean.

‘That was a really special thing for me. That was an opportunity that unless you're in the rugby space you'd probably never be exposed to and to have someone like him who's a natural-born leader and created an everlasting culture that you can see in the All Blacks is something that was really special.’

Luke Stuckey, Flynn, Gippsland Victoria, like many applied for GenAngus to get out of his comfort zone.

‘I'm one person probably not great at getting out of my comfort zone so this was a bit of a challenge for me, and it’s ended up being a great experience while being in a safe place to do so, amongst plenty others that are here for the same reason.’

When asked what he has gained from GenAngus, Luke has enjoyed the connections and relationships he has made.

‘All of a sudden I’ve got really good mates from Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Queensland, New Zealand and everywhere in between.’

Another fundamental learning for Luke was growth. ‘If I can improve myself then I can take that home and help others and be a better boss, a better cattle breeder and become a better person overall,’ he said.

Reading the required reading of Legacy by James Kerr was also a game changer for Luke.

‘I like the idea of leaving a good legacy, that is to leave a place not the way I found it, but better.’

Lincoln McKinlay, from Inverell, New South Wales had no trouble summing his GenAngus experience.

‘It has been a phenomenal couple of days. It's been an unreal experience in the fact that it's such a big cross-section from so many different parts of not only the country but the industry, that are all focused around the Angus breed and are wanting to develop themselves, learning what it takes to be a better person, not only in the breed as a future leader but in the industry as well.’

Lincoln’s reasons for applying for GenAngus were all around self-development.

‘I’m very excited about growing as a person and as a person in the beef industry. I have a lot of friends and clientele that are that are heavily involved in the Angus breed and run some phenomenal operations in Australia.’

‘I've seen some of those good friends come through the program and to have the opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded people that are all looking to better themselves as people in the industry and people in the Angus breed, I just thought it was a great chance to take that next step.’

‘GenAngus is a nice combination of industry people, Angus breeders and leaders, so the diversity that you come away with out of this course is phenomenal.

‘It's just a great balance and a really nice combination of things that are really going to help us go to the next level within not only our industry but as Angus breeders and as people.’

Sophie Hanna from Walwa in the upper Murray area of Victoria applied for GenAngus because she saw it as a phenomenal opportunity for professional and personal growth and development.

‘The line-up of speakers that we've had and the team that we've been working with has been a fantastic platform for growth in those ways.’

‘The key takeaways from my GenAngus experience have been the value that you get from working with others.

Collaborating with others was a key theme that has come across from the multiple different speakers we've heard from in the discussions we've had together.’

Murk Schoen

Sophie Hanna

Emma Hussey Jim Burrows

Cody Best

Sam Hayden

Sean Wright

Nathan Mura

They have shown importance of culture, communication and understanding other perspectives, and using these different ideas together to work towards somewhere better to innovate.’

‘Once you know where you are, think again to progress in other ways that you haven't quite done before.’

Cody Best from Deloraine in Tasmania described GenAngus as an ‘awesome experience.’

‘I have learnt a lot of life skills and a lot of stuff I can incorporate into our business and it's really going to secure my future longevity. It is a great time to be doing it because markets have been pretty volatile and tough lately.’

For Cody the session about mindset was a standout.

‘A lot of people probably don't put the value into mindset and how important it is, but it plays a significant and important role.’

‘But overall, every module we had there was something to learn, there wasn't a module that didn't have value adding.’

And when he returns home, Cody plans to work on the goals he sets for himself in his business.

‘You're better off setting small or more achievable goals, because setting goals that are too big and then potentially failing at them gets you down. So instead, you want to have more consistent goals that are achievable.’

Sam Hayden, Moriac, Victoria applied for GenAngus after talking to other people in the industry that suggested he would get a lot out of the program and overall, he enjoyed the whole GenAngus experience.

‘There have been so many different aspects to learn about in the cattle industry,’ he said.

‘How it works, insurance, marketing, feeding and just everything, there's been so much information, which has been great and I'm really looking forward to getting home and taking bits and pieces and seeing how I can work that into my breeding and cattle operation.’

But when asked what his favourite session was, like many it centred in mindset.

‘Do little things one at a time, those incremental things. If we can just continue to do 1% improvements every day it adds up gradually over time and becomes a big result, rather than focusing on the big end result from the outset.’

Emma Hussey hails from the Canterbury high country in New Zealand and was sponsored by Angus New Zealand to attend.

‘Being part of the Australian group has been amazing to see different perspectives

and hear different points of views from across the ditch.’

‘It’s been great to have them bouncing ideas off me and me bouncing ideas off them.’

Emma enjoyed the opportunity of attending a well-rounded program and saw it as a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity,’ that exposed her to things she had not spent a lot of time on beforehand.

‘This week we have been here learning heaps of information, ranging from budget planning, succession planning, marketing, mindset and creating and cultivating relationships.’

When she returns home the big items Emma hopes to work on are the marketing and budgeting side of things for both her personal business and the family farm.

Jim Burrows from north Canterbury in New Zealand was also sponsored by Angus New Zealand to join GenAngus. It was the first time he has attended a program like GenAngus and was very grateful for the opportunity to attend.

‘I probably didn't appreciate just how high a level of content GenAngus was going to be and when I heard it was a young Angus conference, I just assumed I was too old for it, which clearly, I wasn't.’

‘We have been learning everything from mindset and personal improvement, to accounting and managing finances and marketing.’

‘I really enjoy the financials and looking at the bottom line and working hard on that as I probably take to that better, but the mindset side of things was great and really something I need to work on personally.’

But as a Kiwi, Jim could not go past the session with Sir Graham Henry because, ‘He’s like a God to New Zealanders.’

Joe Dewar, Guilderton, Western Australia applied for GenAngus for the opportunity to reset, get off farm and meet people, which he saw as almost as important as the learning side of the program.

His key takeaways from the program were in the financial and benchmarking session and marketing presentations.

‘There is always improvement that we can make in our business but if we don't really know where we're at then we're not really going to be able to get where we want to go.’

‘And marketing is not my forte, but the tips and tricks around telling the story of everyday farm life and not just focusing around the bull sale has been key for me.’

When Joe returns home and looks to implement his learnings on farm, he is going to let everything ‘marinate’ and then look at what he can implement.

‘I am going to start drilling things down and from the great ideas I have work out what I can practically implement.’

Elliot Connors from Scone in the Upper Hunter of New South Wales really enjoyed the teamwork element to GenAngus and the opportunity to build his Angus family.

‘It has been great getting to make connections with twelve other people in a room that are from all parts of Australia and New Zealand that all have that one thing in common, which is passion for the beef industry, passion for the Angus breed and passion for good people.’

‘We learnt about being able to use each other's strengths and helping them grow and build, but also using your team members to help you build on your weaknesses and turn them into strengths.’

With consistency a big theme during the week at GenAngus, Elliot is looking forward to bringing this into every day.

‘The thing that I'll implement going home is just doing small incremental things to get you where you need. There's no silver bullet in life, there's no magic information that we're missing out on, it's just a little bit doing the 1% things better - the consistency stuff that you just don't realize builds up over time.’

Elliot also enjoyed the practical farming example with James Knight.

‘He was probably what I was looking for in the finance side of farming and it's where I'm at next trying to figure out how I can get my business to the next level scaling up. There are no wrong answers in numbers - they're straight black and white and he captured that really well.’

Kate Reid Elliot Connors Joe Dewar Luke Stuckey Lincoln McKinlay

Successful GenAngus Future Leaders Program extended into 2025

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Angus Australia is pleased to announce that they will once again be partnering with specialist farm insurer Achmea Australia to deliver the seventh GenAngus Future Leaders Program in 2025.

This announcement came against the backdrop of Beef Australia 2024, following a successful seminar presented by Achmea Australia, titled ‘Inspiring the next generation of leaders’, where GenAngus alumni shared their experiences.

The GenAngus Future Leaders Program (GenAngus) was established in 2019 and serves as a flagship opportunity in the Angus Youth program of scholarships, awards and bursaries. By the end of May 2024 and since its inception, more than 60 young members of the beef industry will have completed the program, which aims to equip participants with the business skills and knowledge to kickstart their own beef cattle enterprise or elevate their existing ventures.

In 2025, the partnership between Angus Australia and Achmea Australia will mark the total combined contribution of $300,000 to the program since its establishment, supporting the aim to back the next generation of leaders in the beef industry, best arming them in their toolboxes for success.

“We're really proud to share this announcement,” said Angus Australia Extension Manager Jake Phillips.

“This was a dream six years ago, and now it's really become a legacy for the beef industry more broadly and we're very pleased to be working with Achmea Australia to deliver the GenAngus program for the Australian beef industry.

“GenAngus is an intensive leadership program, and we cover a range of topics by involving the industry's best speakers from Australia and New Zealand around things that young agriculturalists are really challenged with today, such as succession planning, the use of social media, breeding and genetics, mindset and mental resilience and risk mitigation to name a few.”

He continued, “This is, I suppose, a money can't buy experience to hopefully encourage people and give them the skills to make perhaps better decisions going forward in their lives and their business more broadly.”

Highlighting that the GenAngus experience extends beyond program, Achmea Australia CEO Emma Thomas spoke about the networking opportunities and ongoing support that comes from being a GenAngus future leader.

“The networking and opportunities for GenAngus alumni are wide-reaching,” Emma said.

“It's a wonderful opportunity for GenAngus participants to connect with industry leaders who can offer coaching, mentoring and support to help them continue to grow as emerging leaders. Through the unique set-up of the GenAngus program, we really want the participants to feel they can openly ask for help and advice on a broad range of topics,” said Emma.

“For Achmea Australia, it's a real privilege to be part of these individuals’ career journeys and provide them with skills and resources to advance in their farming enterprise and business.”

She continued, “That sense of community at Achmea Australia is something we hold dear. The company was built on the co-operative principles of solidarity and support, helping each other through both good times and bad times”.

“Unfortunately in Australia, we have had our fair share of natural disasters, and risk mitigation and preparedness for unexpected challenges are valuable lessons that future leaders can expect to take away from the GenAngus program,” she said.

“We have just completed our sixth edition of the program, which will bring us to more than 60 alumni,” said Jake. “Probably the proudest thing that we've found is that it's really the Angus family, and a lot of these alumni consider each other perhaps closer than some of their own family, but it really creates some people and culture capacity, not only for Angus Australia and Achmea

Australia, but probably for the beef industry more broadly. It's something that we're extremely gratified to deliver.”

Angus Australia and Achmea Australia encourage young members of the beef industry aged between 18 and 40 with an interest in an opportunity to develop their professional and personal identities to keep an eye out for information relating to the 2025 GenAngus program. Announcements relating to the program will be found on the Angus Australia website or the Angus Youth Australia social media accounts.

With the desire to broaden yourself and your business acumen one of the most important criteria for applicants of the program, Jake said, “I think the range of people that we have, some people are on a clear trajectory for success. Others are really challenged by decisions close to the family farm around succession or perhaps starting a new business venture as first generation.

“I think the breadth that we cater for is something we're incredibly proud of,” he said. “To date, we've had delegates from every state in Australia and both the North and South islands in New Zealand. We're very proud of that tradition that GenAngus is for everyone. So long as you bring the right attitude, you're ready to learn and enter that growth period of your life, we're keen to hear from you.”

Jake Phillips, Emma Thoms and Hannah Powe

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A week at Beef with Brooke and Jasmin

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Beef Australia took place May 5th to 11th 2024, and with a whirlwind week of networking, educational opportunities and research and development displays, who better to hear from then our 2024 Angus Foundation Beef Australia Scholarship recipients Brooke Barnes and Jasmin Ramage regarding their experience at the industry event.

As recipients of the Angus Foundation scholarships, Brooke and Jasmin both made their way to Rockhampton to take part in their first Beef Australia. Beef Australia exists for the advancement of the Australian beef community and has a vision to be a world-class organisation that promotes, advances, and celebrates a sustainable beef industry.

“I had the opportunity to attend the Beef Australia event held in Rockhampton, Queensland this year, thanks to the Angus Foundation Beef Australia Scholarship,” said Brooke, Texas, QLD. “Beef Australia 2024 served as a premier event that attracted producers, processors, exporters, researchers, policymakers, and consumers from around the globe.”

During the weeklong industry event, both Jasmin and Brooke took the opportunity to attend the various seminars, events and demonstrations that are hosted during Beef.

“Between international seminars, symposiums, cattle competitions, trade exhibitions and next gen forums, Beef was an action-packed week,” said Jasmin, who hails from Guyra, NSW.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, being my first time at Beef I wasn’t prepared for the magnitude of the event.”

“Beef featured exhibitions showcasing the latest products, technologies, and services related to beef production, processing, and marketing,” said Brooke.

“Exhibitors included leading companies, organizations, and industry bodies presenting innovations in genetics, equipment, feed, health products, and sustainability solutions.

“Beef Australia offered a variety of seminars, workshops, and panel discussions covering a diverse range of topics. Key themes presented included sustainable farming practices, market trends, technological advancements, animal welfare, and trade opportunities. She continued, “The event hosted competitions which included cattle shows, auctions, and culinary contests, showcasing the finest breeds, genetics, and culinary talents in the beef industry.”

To begin her week at beef, Jasmin was thrown straight in off the plane, kicking off her schedule with assisting in the ring at the Angus judging.

“I started off the week with stewarding the Angus judging, which was a great way

to connect with the northern breeders and Angus members,” she said.

“It was a fantastic showcase of the breed with some great Angus cattle on display. I found it a great opportunity to sit back during the cattle judging and listen to the comments passed on to the larger Bos Indicus breeds from some of the world-renowned judges.”

Over the coming days, both Jasmin and Brooke immersed themselves in the activities available during the week, attending some of the various speaker and seminar opportunities presented through the event, covering touchpoints across the entire beef industry supply chain.

“I attended various seminars including the Angus Australia seminar, focussing on how Angus genetics complement various breeding operations and assist in genetic improvement, marketability, and profitability,” said Jasmin. “It was particularly interesting to hear the use of Angus genetics in operations in northern QLD to improve herd productivity and profitability.

“I attended the ‘Graeme Acton Beef Connections Lunch’ with the Angus team and got to listen to an inspiring group of young professionals within the beef industry. This program is an initiative of Beef Australia in memory of the late Graeme Acton.

“Each person is provided with a mentoring opportunity to support the individual’s leadership project to enhance Australia’s beef industry. It was a very inspiring presentation as a young ambitious industry member to listen to the projects.”

Speaking on some of the seminars she took in, Brooke said, “The Cattle Australia Breakfast seminar featured various speakers, with the Honourable Sir John Key (former New Zealand Prime Minister) delivering a presentation titled “On Being Influential”.

“The presentation identified the power of leadership to drive change and shape outcomes, the significance of building trust and credibility to establish and maintain trust-based relationships, and strategies to navigate challenges and complexities.”

She continued, “Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam addressed common misconceptions and myths regarding biotechnology and genetic engineering in the beef industry. Her presentation highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between scientific advancements and

consumer perception through transparent communication, education, and engagement initiatives to build trust and confidence among consumers.

“The seminar “The Compounding and Permanent Impact of Feed Efficiency and IVF” focused on the roles of feed efficiency and in vitro fertilization (IVF) in advancing sustainable beef production,” she explained. “The combined expertise of Dr. David Johnson, Dr. Matt McDonagh, Lisa Rumsfeld, and Geoff Birchnell ensured a thorough discussion covering the environmental, economic, and genetic aspects of these practices.

“The “How We Are Securing Our Future Trade – Market Access” seminar provided insight into the strategies and policies required to secure and expand market access for the Australian beef industry. Discussions led by industry experts and policymakers highlighted the importance of understanding the current trade landscape, leveraging trade agreements, diversifying markets, addressing regulatory challenges, and identifying future opportunities for the beef industry.”

Networking is a fundamental part of the Beef Australia event, and something that both scholarship recipients were exposed to during the week.

“Award dinners celebrate achievements and contributions in the beef industry while featuring presentations from leaders and providing a platform for networking and idea-sharing,” said Brooke. “The event honoured individuals and organizations for innovation, sustainability, leadership, and community impact, highlighting the importance of acknowledging excellence in the industry.”

Of another experience highlighting the up and comers of the industry, Brooke said, “The Next Gen Forum featured keynote sessions with industry representatives, focusing on the future of the beef industry and how to best prepare for upcoming challenges.

“The evenings offered younger delegates opportunities to continue learning, networking, and unwinding at events such as the RB Sellars Hats n Heels and the Next Gen Cattalyst session.”

When reflecting on the overall experience of Beef Australia 2024, both Brooke and Jasmin highlighted the innovation being displayed over the course of the event and what that could potentially mean for the industry into the future.

“There was a large area of new and innovative technology which is utilising the future of technology-based farming for improved efficiency,” said Jasmin. “The various software programs and technology tools are all items of the future of farming in Australia and it was an eye-opening experience to see just how many different types of technology have been developed.”

Brooke continued, “One of the main things I loved about this event was seeing how the next generations are being included and supported in the livestock industry.

“From the competitions to the seminars, and workshops, I genuinely enjoy witnessing the levels of education provided to the younger generations and the variety of events available for them to participate in. Providing continuous opportunities to emerging talents is vital.”

Concluding her experience of Beef and what she took from the week that was, Brooke said, “Beef Australia provided an event full of knowledge exchange, business development, industry promotion, and community engagement.

“I want to thank Angus Australia for the Youth Program and for providing me with a scholarship to attend my first Beef Australia event. This event has been an invaluable experience, and I am grateful to Angus Australia for their continued support as I navigate my way through this industry.”

Both recipients put a call out to fellow young members of Angus Australia and the wider beef industry to apply for future Beef Australia scholarship opportunities.

“To any Youth members, if you have an opportunity to partake in any Angus Australia events, I strongly urge you to apply, said Brooke. “These events are amazing opportunities for you to gain different experiences, knowledge, and connections within the cattle and beef industry here in Australia.”

Jasmin continued, “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend Beef 2024 and would like to thank the Angus Foundation for making this experience possible. The scholarship was a great opportunity to be able to attend Beef and network and develop relationships with beef industry leaders and producers.

“I highly recommend youth members to apply for this scholarship next Beef, you will have the best time! Attending Beef left me feeling very inspired as a young member of this evolving beef industry and excited for what the future of beef in Australia will be.”

Jasmin Ramage, Brooke Barnes & Scott Wright

Bulliac Angus

Kaiti McGregor recognised for Roundup Passion

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Angus Australia is pleased to announce that longtime Angus Youth member Kaiti McGregor has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Cornell Shield, in recognition of her dedication to the Angus Youth National Roundup.

The Cornell Shield was commissioned in recognition of Kathleen and David Cornell and their dedication to the Angus Youth Program in its formative years. Each year, the Cornell Shield is awarded to an Angus Australia member for their contributions to the Angus Youth program and the Angus Youth National Roundup.

Kaiti has been involved in the Angus Youth program since childhood and has taken part in a number of Roundups around Australia as a competitor.

Since the conclusion of her competitive Roundup days, Kaiti has come back on board in a different way, taking part as a member of the 2022, 2024 and 2025 Roundup Organising Committees. She is also a previous Angus National Conference Scholarship recipient, Bulliac Studmaster Award recipient and Angus Australia World Angus Forum Youth team representative. Hailing from Queensland, Kaiti, alongside her two brothers, grew up breeding and showing her own Angus heifers, a passion that has continued through to adulthood. Now residing in Sydney and working as a mid-wife, Kaiti has continued to give back to the Angus Youth program and Roundup.

Following her instatement on the Roundup Organising Committee, Kaiti said of her passion for the Roundup event, “I have been involved in the Roundup Organising Committee for the past few years. I still enjoy being a part of the agriculture industry and giving kids the same opportunities I had growing up.

“I believe Roundup is an awesome camp to meet new friends and learn heaps of new skills.”

This commitment to the industry is what encouraged nominators to put Kaiti’s name forward for 2023 Cornell Shield. Following a nomination process, Kaiti was selected by Angus Youth Consultative Committee as the most recent Cornell Shield recipient.

“Kaiti makes it to every meeting even if she’s delivering babies and lets us know on time if she can’t make it,” said Kaiti’s nomination. “She’s always the yes girl. She helped with planning different parts of the Roundup throughout the year and was an absolute superstar in organising and running Barnyard Olympics!

“If we needed anything run somewhere or moved around during Roundup, she would be the first to put up her hand to do it.

She is a hard worker who doesn’t put her hand up to be in the spotlight and we would love to see her get recognised for her efforts for the 2024 Roundup.”

During the presentation of the Cornell Shield to Kaiti, Angus Youth Roundup Organising Committee member Aimee Bolton said, “Today, I get the pleasure of presenting the Cornell Shield to a Youth member for their dedication to Angus Youth, specifically, but also the breed.

“This young lady was nominated through her contributions to the Angus Roundup, but that truly is only the beginning. I'll keep it pretty short because I'll get pretty emotional, but a really good friend of mine and someone that will do anything for anybody.

“When she's not catching babies, she's chasing them around all while she's helping everybody else out around the barns, especially the Youth. We even struggled to get her here tonight because she was too busy trying to help out the people she's working with. Without further ado, I would like to present the Cornell Shield to Katie McGregor.”

Angus Australia CEO Scott Wright, Bill Cornell, Kaiti McGregor & Aimee Bolton

Roundup heading back to Tamworth with locked in committee

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Angus Australia is pleased to announce that the 2025 Roundup Organising Committee has been instated, with twelve young members of the beef industry coming on board to bring the Angus Youth National Roundup to life.

Bonnie Cox, Charlotte Nugent, Annie Pumpa, Chloe Plowman, Kaiti McGregor, Monique McKinnon, Annika Wynberg, Aimee Bolton, Libby Falkiner, Hannah Powe, Georgia Laurie, Brianna Meacle and Ruby Canning have all been selected as members of the committee.

With the support of Roundup Event Manager Toni Nugent, the committee will work together to shape the 2025 Roundup event, which will take place at the Australian Equine and Livestock Exhibition Centre (AELEC) in Tamworth, NSW from the 8th to the 12th of January 2025.

Angus Australia Extension Manager Jake Phillips looks forward to working with the group to bring the Roundup together in what is set to kick off an enormous year for Angus Youth.

“Roundup is routinely the largest event on the Angus Youth calendar and would not be possible without the work of Toni and the committee in bringing it to life,” said Jake.

“I look forward to working with the group, which brings together previous committee members as well as some fresh faces, in organising the event. I also look forward to working with incoming committee chairperson Bonnie Cox and seeing her take on the leadership in this role.”

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to come in as Chairperson for the 2025 Roundup and work with such an amazing group of ladies,” said incoming chairperson Bonnie Cox.

“I am eager to contribute to the growth and education of our youth in the Angus community and create unforgettable experiences for our Roundup attendees.” With work already underway for Roundup 2025, further news has also been announced regarding the location of the 2026 Roundup. Returning to her role as Roundup Event Manager once again in 2025, Toni Nugent said, “It’s exciting to work with such an amazing group of

passionate and knowledgeable young people as we start to plan for the 2025 Roundup.

“We’re excited to be returning to AELEC in Tamworth and look forward to welcoming everyone to what promises to be the best Roundup yet! We are also super excited to let you know that Roundup will return to the south in 2026, with Wodonga locked in to host the 2026 Roundup.

“The facilities at both Tamworth and Wodonga are world class and we can’t wait to showcase the Angus breed, provide opportunities for our youth to learn about the Australian beef industry and network with some of the best in the industry. Mark the dates in your diary.”

For updates regarding the 2025 Angus Youth National Roundup, please keep an eye on the Angus Youth section of the

Libby Falkiner, Hannah Powe, Georgia Laurie, Brianna Meacle, Ruby Canning

Angus Australia website or the Angus Youth social media channels.

For further information regarding the Angus Youth National Roundup please contact Toni Nugent at toni@toninugent. com.au or Jake Phillips at jake.phillips@ angusaustralia.com.au

Top left to bottom right: Bonnie Cox, Toni Nugent, Charlotte Nugent, Annie Pumpa, Chloe Plowman, Kaiti McGregor, Monique McKinnon, Annika Wynberg, Aimee Bolton,

Toreen selected for Angus Foundation NH Foods Cadetship

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Angus Australia and NH Foods are pleased to announce that Toreen Denyer has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Angus Foundation NH Foods cadetship.

Now in its second year, the Angus Foundation NH Foods Cadetship provides the recipient with an authentic and valuable experience of the beef industry and NH Foods Australia’s core activities.

Toreen hails from a property near Gloucester, NSW. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Agriculture through the University of New England, whilst also working on her family farm.

“I applied for this cadetship to gain a detailed insight into the entire supply chain of beef production,” said Toreen.

“I hope to broaden my knowledge and make new connections within the red meat industry from this opportunity.”

Over the course of four weeks Toreen will experience the key areas of NH Foods: breeding, feedlotting, production, marketing, and sales through a series of placements within the company structure.

As she moves through the cadetship, Toreen will spend time within the day-today operations of Whyalla Beef, Australia’s most modern and technologically advanced feedlot. Supplementing the feedlot experience will be time spent at two of the company’s processing plants: Oakey (based in Southern QLD, it is one of the largest in Australia) and Wingham (located on the mid north coast of NSW).

Time in the company’s Sydney head office is also a feature, including exposure to

the marketing and sales activities of the branded beef programs. During her time at NH Foods, Toreen will have contact to key players in the industry with the opportunity to expand her professional network.

Along with her placement with NH Foods, as part of the cadetship Toreen also complete the Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Course, an intensive five-day workshop recognised as one of the longest running rural leadership programs in the nation.

"We are excited to have Toreen onboard as the 2024 NH Foods Cadet and hope that through the experience, she will be exposed to the extraordinary parts of our beef supply chain that work tirelessly to take the very best product from conception to consumption,” said Angus Australia Extension Manager Jake Phillips.

“Toreen was a standout applicant, and we are all very pleased to see her be awarded this year’s cadetship with NH Foods.”

“NH Foods Australia is very excited to be working once again with Angus Australia and offer a second cadetship to another worthy recipient,” said Mr Andrew McDonald, Director, NH Foods Australia.

“A cadetship offers a great opportunity for people like Toreen to develop practical experience in their chosen field.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming Toreen to our locations, and using the

opportunity to demonstrate and educate the next generation of agriculture leaders on the wide range of career prospects in the red meat industry and within the NH Foods Australia group."

Following her cadetship experience, Toreen will provide a report of time with NH Foods, which be available to read in the Angus Australia Bulletin and on the Angus Australia website.

2025 University of Illinois Scholarship - A Life-Changing Opportunity Awaits!

Jake Phillips, Extension Manager

Are you passionate about livestock and meat judging? Ready to take your skills to the next level and embark on a life-changing adventure?

The Angus Foundation is excited to announce the return of the 2025 University of Illinois Scholarship, offering a unique opportunity for young Australians to join the esteemed UofI livestock and meat judging teams.

Over the past 40 years, Australian students have competed for the National Livestock Judging Scholarship, with winners earning the chance to study at the University of Illinois. This scholarship has evolved significantly, with guidance from UofI staff and Angus Australia, becoming one of the most industry-relevant scholarships available to Angus Australia members.

After a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the sad passing of Dr. Doug Parrett, Angus Australia is thrilled to bring back the scholarship for 2025, with grand plans for 2026 and beyond. We extend our deepest gratitude to all who have contributed to this reinvigorated program, especially Professor Dan Shike from the University of Illinois, who has stepped up to facilitate the scholarship in honour of the late Doug Parrett in recent years. Dozens of Australians have benefitted from this opportunity, many of whom have become industry-leading visionaries across the beef supply chain.

We also wish to thank Greg Chappell from Dulverton Angus for his generous donation to the Angus Foundation last year, which has made the recommencement of this opportunity possible. We are pleased to include Dulverton Angus as a sponsor of the newly revitalized scholarship for 2025.

Scholarship Details:

Duration: One semester

(Early January 2025 - May 2025)

Scholarship Amount: $15,000 (towards travel and tuition costs)

Location: University of Illinois, USA

· Activities: Participate with the UofI livestock and meat judging teams, attend university classes, live on campus, and travel to various competitions and training events across the United States.

Starting Event: Denver National Western Stock Show, January 2025

Eligibility Criteria:

Age: 18 - 25 years old

Membership: Must be a member of Angus Australia

Attributes: Trustworthy, driven, able to work and travel autonomously

Aspirations: Strong interest in livestock and meat judging, with a goal of forging a career in associated industries

Application Process:

1. Submit Application: Provide a detailed resume and a cover letter outlining your interest and experience in livestock and meat judging.

2. Interview Process: Shortlisted applicants may undergo an interview process.

Application Deadline:

Closing Date: Friday, 16th August

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to advance your career, gain invaluable experience, and make lasting connections in the livestock and meat judging industry. Apply now and take the first step towards an exciting future with the University of Illinois Scholarship sponsored by the Angus Foundation.

For more information and to submit your application, please visit Angus Australia's website or contact Jake Phillips at Angus Australia.

Beefex 2024 Scholarships Open Now!

Hanlie Jansen, Extension Officer

Are you an Angus Australia member aged 18-30 with an interest in the feedlot industry? If so, then you will want to apply for the Angus Foundation ALFA BeefEx Scholarships, open now!

The Angus Foundation will once again award two scholarships to give Angus Australia youth members the opportunity to participate in the only place on the calendar specifically focused on the Grain Fed Beef Industry at the 2024 BeefEx Conference, 15th-17th October 2024 hosted by ALFA (The Australian Lot Feeders’ Association), in Brisbane Qld.

Jack Jansen, previous recipient (2022) says, “The feedlot industry is an important part of the Angus and broader beef supply chain. Attending BeefEx provides the opportunity to learn how the sector is evolving to tackle rising pressure on sustainability and efficiency, while not surpassing on the high-quality beef Australia produces.”

“I highly recommend attending BeefEx to young people who are interested in developing a better understanding of the broader feedlot industry, the calibre of speakers and opportunities to network with industry leading professionals is second to none”.

BeefEx 2024 has put together an informative program with speakers delving into learnings from international markets, consumer sentiments, updates to the current research being undertaken, and people management.

BeefEX is well renowned for drawing together a wide variety of experts from the grain fed beef industry including but not limited to nutritionists, veterinarians, backgrounders, regulators, service providers, transport operators and others involved in the grain fed industry and beef supply chain.

The aim of this scholarship is to: Increase the recipient’s knowledge of the Australian Lot Feeding industry and the beef industry as a whole.

Allow recipients the opportunity to network with industry professionals. Develop the recipient’s personal skills.

Who Is Eligible To enter

To be eligible for these scholarship’s, applicants must be between 18 and 30

years of age. You must also be a current Angus Youth or Angus Australia financial member. Membership forms are available on the Angus Australia website. Each scholarship recipient will be provided with $1500 to assist in covering costs associate with attending the event, (for example; flights, accommodation and the event registration fee).

Applications for the scholarships to attend BeefEX 2024 will close the 26th of August 2024.

Conditions of receiving the scholarship: The scholarship cannot be deferred, it must be taken up in the year it is awarded. Within two weeks of returning, a full trip report must be given to the Angus Australia Foundation.

For further information contact; Hanlie Jansen, Extension Officer E: hanlie.jansen@angusaustralia.com.au

SCAN HERE TO Apply Now

Charlie to set off to New Zealand

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer

Presented with the opportunity to undertake an investigation into international production systems is Angus Australia member Charlie Raff, who was recently announced as the 2024 Trans Tasman Exchange recipient, proudly supported by the Angus Foundation and the New England Travel Centre.

Through the Trans Tasman Exchange

Charlie will travel around New Zealand, spending at least four weeks touring the New Zealand beef industry.

The Angus Australia network of staff, members and affiliated groups will provide assistance and insight to develop a tour to Charlie’s interest.

Angus Australia Extension Officer Nancy Crawshaw is pleased to have Charlie representing Angus Australia as the exchange recipient.

“This exchange will provide Charlie the opportunity to experience and in turn gain a better understanding of the production of beef, and in a larger sense the greater agricultural industry, specific to New Zealand,” said Nancy.

“It is our aim that through this exposure to differing production systems and industry, Charlie will be able to build on his knowledge and skills as a producer, expand his network internationally and further his professional and personal development.”

About Charlie:

Charlie Raff, 18, for the first decade of his life was raised on his family-run Angus Cattle Property, 'Raff Angus,' in dusty Queensland. The property was established by his grandfather back in 1965. Eight years ago, seeking more reliable rainfall, the Raff family, which included his grandparents, parents, older brother, and two younger sisters decided to relocate their stud to King Island, Tasmania.

Charlie has a passion for the Angus breed and is enthusiastic about the future direction of agriculture. Beyond farming, his interests include fishing, hunting, surfing, diving, and playing sports.

Success for Angus at Sydney

The Angus breed has once again walked away with the penultimate awards for beef cattle at the 2024 Sydney Royal Easter show, winning both the coveted Urquhart and Hordern Trophies.

A: Hordern Trophy for Supreme Beef Breed Pair, Tattykeel Typhoon T68, exhibited by Tattykeel and RDM Angus, Black Springs NSW and DSK Tel Hot Stuff S116, exhibited by, Jack and Sam Robson, JSR Livestock, Adelong NSW, B:Junior and Grand Champion Angus bull, Tattykeel Typhoon T68, exhibited by Tattykeel and RDM Angus, Black Springs NSW, C: Senior and Grand Champion Angus female, DSK Tel Hot Stuff S116, exhibited by, Jack and Sam Robson, JSR Livestock, Adelong NSW, D: Urquart Trophy for Supreme Interbreed Exhibit, DSK Tel Hot Stuff S116, exhibited by, Jack and Sam Robson, JSR Livestock, Adelong NSW.

Chasing the Dream: Cows,

Culture & Character –

The Journey of 2023 ARCBA

Young Breed Leader, Jake Phillips

The 2023 ARCBA Young Breed Leaders Award has profoundly impacted myself and my family. Receiving an award in Arthur Rickards' name is not just an honour but a humbling experience.

Arthur Rickards gave me my first full-time employment opportunity after university, and for that, I will be forever grateful.

This award allowed me to question whether a first-generation beef cattle breeder could start and sustain a seedstock enterprise in today’s world. Our trip to the United States cemented our aspirations and provided clarity for our future in cattle breeding.

Over 37 nights, 18 Australian flags (given to US hosts), 13 states and 11 flights we endeavoured to learn as much as we could from as many people as we could about the mistakes they had made, what they would do differently next time and glean their advice for people starting out in the seedstock business.

The response we achieved was extraordinary, a remarkable testament to the glue that holds us all together, agriculture.

We spent time with Angus, Charolais and Hereford people and garnered information from industry professionals, researchers and leaders in the US beef industry.

The Journey Begins: Denver, Colorado

We left Australia on January 8th and headed to the Denver National Western Stock Show in Colorado. The show was an incredible display of cattle and a hub for beef cattle enthusiasts. We learned the importance of bringing cattle to people, spending time with the people, and understanding their needs.

Our takeaway from Denver was to focus on defining our breeding goals and working diligently on our female cowherd.

Things we learnt:

· It’s a 51% people, 49% cattle business –Chris Earl, CK6 Consulting

Don’t pull a piece of junk out of the newest trailer – Brent Sadler, Sadler Ranches

· Do you want to be where they are, or do you want to be where they are going? –Robert Whitacre – Breeder Link

Kansas State University: A Hub of Agricultural Excellence

Our next stop was Kansas State University, where we met with Dan Moser. Kansas State is a leading land-grant university with extensive facilities and courses in agriculture.

Working in the calving barn and exploring the university’s offerings reinforced the value of continuous education and overseas experiences in enhancing one’s knowledge base.

Things we learnt:

Educate yourself, there are outstanding educational institutions across the globe

The US is leading the way in practical, hands on skills making graduates job ready

Study abroad, it will change your life

The American Angus Association: Dedication to Breed Improvement

In Saint Joseph, Missouri, we spent three days with the American Angus Association. Mark McCulley and his team’s commitment to breed improvement and market opportunities for Angus cattle were truly inspiring.

Our interactions with industry leaders giving us a comprehensive understanding of the association’s cultural values and collaborative opportunities for the future. I spent time across the business, taking a peep behind the curtains to many of the services that world leading organisation provides

Things we learnt:

Allow your managers to manage Passion goes a long way to achievement

· Collaboration with the US makes us all better

Hoover Angus: Excellence in Detail and Dedication

Visiting Hoover Angus in Iowa was another highlight. Landi Mcfarland-Livingston's meticulous record-keeping and attention to detail in cattle breeding were impressive. Despite challenging weather conditions, the hospitality at Hoover Angus was unforgettable. Landi’s advice to use only the best genetics and consider our clients' needs deeply resonated with us.

Things we learnt:

What Landi doesn’t know about her cows isn’t worth knowing

If you care about accuracy of data, there is no excuse to not to be measuring and accurately describing things really well

· Spend good time with people

T-Bone Angus Ranch: Maximizing Resources

At T-Bone Angus Ranch in Nebraska, Alex and Mary Brookhouser taught us the importance of making the most of available resources.

Their operation exemplified resilience and innovative marketing, which encouraged us to think creatively about our Australian farming system and its prohibitive nature for newcomers.

Things we learnt:

Do the most with what you’ve got

Get the very best people on your team

At some stage, make a splash, it will make everyone realise what you were already doing

Rekindling Friendships and Chasing Dreams

In South Dakota, we reconnected with Tim Anderson, a first-generation cattle breeder who moved to the U.S. 13 years ago. His journey from Australia to becoming a successful seedstock operator was inspiring.

Tim’s story of perseverance and dedication reminded us to chase our dreams relentlessly.

Things we learnt:

It’s never the right time to jump in

· Never underestimate the power of a handshake

University of Illinois:

Learning from the Pioneers

Our time at the University of Illinois with Professor Dan Shike was humbling. The legacy of industry legends like Dr. Doug Parrett and Dr. Tom Carr, who have advanced cattle assessment and meat science globally, was palpable. Their work emphasized the importance of education and innovation in our field.

Things we learnt:

80% of Animal Science students are female, 70% from urban cities, are we accommodating this workforce?

· U of I has contributed to so many industry leaders in the livestock industry Question it, Research it, Answer it, Repeat

NCBA Cattle Con Convention: A Global Gathering

Attending the NCBA Cattle Con Convention in Orlando, Florida, was an immersive experience.

The convention featured the latest research, products, and professional development opportunities in the beef industry. From stockmanship demonstrations to technical presentations, the event was a treasure trove of knowledge for all attendees.

Things we learnt:

The RFID traceability system we have in Australia should not be taken for granted, the US is vulnerable in so many areas

· Looking after your heifers is one of the most important business decisions you can make in ranching

· Are you ready? To be a manager. Have you thought about your communication, your tone, do you check in with people or just check in on their work?

Yon Angus: Hard Work and Dedication

In South Carolina, we visited Kevin and Lydia Yon of Yon Angus. Starting with 100 acres and 100 cows, they now run a successful operation with 1,400 cows. Kevin’s advice, "We don’t have to be the best, we just have to do our best," has been a guiding principle for us, helping us overcome daily challenges.

Things we learnt:

Three Children want to work in the business and all have a place, how lucky are they

They work hard and look after their community

· It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be better than where you currently are

American Simmental Association:

Leading in Genetic Solutions

Our visit to the American Simmental Association and International Genetic Solutions (IGS) with Wade Schaffer and Jackie Atkins in Bozeman, Montana, provided insights into leading genetic evaluations. Understanding their processes and innovations in genetic solutions broadened our perspective on genetic advancements.

Things we learnt:

Visual analysis tells you what a Simmental appears to be, His pedigree tells you what he should be, His performance and progeny tests tell you what he actually is – American Simmental Association

Midland Bull Test:

The Commercial Cowman’s Advocate Steve and Amy Williams at Midland Bull Test in South Dakota highlighted the importance of focusing on the commercial cowman.

Midland are the Granddaddy of performance testing, paving the way for RFI measurements across their multivendor feeding and sale conduction arrangements. Steve’s advice to avoid trends but evolve with opportunities reinforced the need for a balanced approach in cattle breeding.

Things we learnt:

Remember the commercial cow man

· Raw measurements will be hard to replace

Avoid the trends, but evolve with opportunities

Thiel Ranch: Legacy of Excellence

At Thiel Ranch, Brent Thiel’s intuitive breeding decisions and meticulous attention to detail were evident. His dedication to his community and the cattle breeding industry set a high standard for us to aspire to.

Brent has left an unparalleled legacy in the Charolais breed, dissolving a 30 year

partnership recently with the Lindskov family. There might not be a greater “cow maker man” at the moment.

Things we learnt:

· Stack the very best female pedigrees you can

Focus on being a good human, friend, neighbour, the rest is a distant 2nd

The Mecca for modern Angus cattle ….anywhere

Strommen Angus: Innovation and Resilience

In North Dakota, Aaron and Sheyna Stroman's innovative approach to breeding and marketing was inspiring. Their use of leases and creative marketing strategies demonstrated how to thrive in a competitive environment.

Now selling over 150 bulls, it is an inspiration to inspect the quality of cattle they have around them.

Things we learnt:

You know it's not luck when someone else could have the same opportunity and wouldn’t do half as much with it

Resilience will get you so far

· Starting with 6 cows proves it’s possible, if you get creative and are prepared to devote your heart and soul and outwork everyone else

Schaff Angus Valley: A Model of Excellence

Attending the Schaff Angus Valley sale, a leading seedstock business, was a remarkable experience. The event’s high standards and the recognition of staff contributions underscored the importance of teamwork and community in achieving success.

Things we learnt:

Even when you’re the leading seedstock breeder in the world, recognise the staff properly…first

· Present your facilities, your cattle and your people properly, likes it's your first last time you’ve done it

Trio Cattle & Genetics: Specialization and Market Focus

In Texas, Alan Good of Trio Cattle & Genetics emphasized the importance of specialization and leveraging social media for business growth. His focus on red Brangus and market-oriented breeding strategies provided valuable insights.

Things we learnt:

Use the tools around you to create a business

Focus on being elite, it is a point of difference

Establish 80% of your income from 80% of your cattle

Final Reflections: Cows, Culture, and Character

Our journey across 13 U.S. states, involving 11 internal flights and countless memories, reinforced three key lessons: Cows, Culture, and Character.

The best operations had a consistent type of cattle, practiced excellent cultural values, and displayed strong character in adversity. These principles will guide our future endeavours in the seedstock industry.

We did not expect the trip to have such a strong cultural focus, instead those that were enjoying success had partnered with others of a similar culture to help each other to their next level. This collaboration to assist young people was an eye opener and may offer just one avenue to bridge the seemingly never-ending hurdles to land ownership for first generation farmers. The trip was a life-changing opportunity made possible by the ARCBA Young Breed Leaders Award.

I am grateful to Angus Australia particularly Scott Wright for the support of the trip and colleagues such as Nancy Crawshaw for covering my work commitments, which was a lengthy patch of leave at reasonably short notice. To our colleagues, friends, and family for their support. It has taken a lot of reflection and some anxiety to put myself out there to announce to the world I have a dream, running the risk of never achieving said dream.

Those around you are a team, they support you, knock you back when you need it and lift you up when you need it to.

Special thanks to my wife, Emma, for her unwavering support throughout this journey, although it is my dream, I am extremely fortunate to share it with you. We left wanting to crack the code of land ownership, or access to capital and how we could develop equity quickly. However, we returned with something much more. We have returned wanting to grow more trees, for the next generation to benefit from. We have returned wanting to work with only the very best people who we respect and are industry leaders, we have returned wanting to work together on our dreams, we have returned with a renewed vision for our cow herd, lifting our sights of what's acceptable and thinking about that commercial cow man, we have returned with a step by step plan and goals, we have returned with renewed philosophy of breeding, we have returned inspired, motivated and determined.

For us, in the end, the dream isn’t about ownership or creating something that is unrealistically achievable, for us it is now about leaving the jersey in a better place. What can we leave our son, hopefully a few good Angus cows that will afford him the same opportunities we have been so fortunate to have experienced thus far. We were born in the city, the past 20 years has been worthy of a book, not because of me, but because of the amazing opportunity the beef industry has allowed me to take, with no background, just a dream, only a dream.

What’s Next?

The journey continues with a focus on improving our cows, practicing strong cultural values, and building our character.

We remain committed to chasing our dreams and inspiring others to do the same. Catch up with our adventure on Facebook and Instagram under "Chasing the Dream," and listen to our insights on the Angus Underground podcast and the Behind the Beef podcast. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this incredible journey. Your support and guidance have been invaluable.

Podca Behind the Beef

SCAN TO LISTEN Angus Underground cows.culture.character Episode

SCAN TO LISTEN Behind the Beef

Chasing the Dream with Jake Phillips Episode

ANGUS BULL & FEMALE SALE

SATURDAY

20TH JULY 2024

1PM START

35 bulls + stud females

28. 08. ‘24

Staff Directory

Chief Executive Officer

Scott Wright, Chief Executive Officer

P: 02 6773 4636 · E: scott.wright@angusaustralia.com.au · 0428 221 008

Mel Strasburg, Executive Assistant to the CEO and World Angus Forum Coordinator

P: 02 6773 4651 · E: mel.strasburg@angusaustralia.com.au

Genetic Improvement

Christian Duff, General Manager Genetic Improvement

P: 02 6773 4620 · M: 0457 457 141 E: christian@angusaustralia.com.au

Liam Mowbray, Research and Development Specialist

P: 02 6773 4603

E: liam.mowbray@angusaustralia.com.au

Malshani Samaraweera, Geneticist

P: 02 6773 4622

E: malshani@angusaustralia.com.au

Marketplace Services

Diana Wood, Marketing & Communications Manager

P: 02 6773 4601 · E: diana@angusaustralia.com.au

Samantha Hamilton, Senior Marketing Officer – Sale Catalogues

P: 02 6773 4613 · E: sam@angusaustralia.com.au

Dzintra Menesis, Marketing Officer - Graphic Design

P: 02 6773 4656 · E: dzintra.menesis@angusaustralia.com.au

Heather Rocks, Marketing Officer (Maternity Leave)

P: 02 6773 4621 · E: heather.rocks@angusaustralia.com.au

Jake Phillips, AngusEXPO Coordinator

P: 02 6773 4625 · M: 0401 261 217 E: jake.phillips@angusaustralia.com.au

Nick Butcher, Project Officer, ASBP

P: 02 6773 4638 · M: 0427 701 236

E: nick@angusaustralia.com.au

Jen Peart, Acting Genetic Improvement Specialist

P: 02 6773 4644 · M: 0417 219 405 E: jen.peart@angusaustralia.com.au

Cheyne Twist, Senior Marketing & Communications Officer P: 02 6773 4635 · E: communications@angusaustralia.com.au

Robyn Brazier, Marketing Assistant P: 02 6773 4609 · E: marketing@angusaustralia.com.au

Kate Reynolds, Graphics & Multimedia Officer P: 02 6773 4645 · E: kate.reynolds@angusaustralia.com.au

office@angusaustralia.com.au | (02) 6773 4600 | Angus Australia Locked Bag 11, Armidale NSW 2350 www.angusaustralia.com.au

Staff Directory

Member Engagement

Nancy Crawshaw, Acting Extension Manager

P: 02 6773 4643 · M: 043 633 7652 E: nancy.crawshaw@angusaustralia.com.au

Hanlie Jansen, Extension Officer

P: 02 6773 4641 · M: 0427 943 436 E: hanlie.jansen@angusaustralia.com.au

Adam Allingham, Member Services Manager

P: 02 6773 4602 · E: adam.allingham@angusaustralia.com.au

Katie Carlon, Member Services Officer

P: 02 6773 4618 · E: katie.carlon@angusaustralia.com.au

Rachael Constable, Member Services Officer (Maternity Leave)

P: 02 6773 4615 · E: rachael.constable@angusaustralia.com.au

Raelene Mold, Member Services Officer

P: 02 6773 4605 · E: raelene.mold@angusaustralia.com.au

Lou Wood, Member Services Officer

P: 02 6773 4617 · E: office@angusaustralia.com.au

Corporate Services

Elliott Connors, Accountant

P: 02 6773 4624 · E: Elliott.Connors@angusaustralia.com.au

Christine Kirkman, Accounts Officer

P: 02 6773 4612 · E: christine.kirkman@angusaustralia.com.au

Tammy McLeod, Senior Member Services Officer

P: 02 6773 4604 · E: tammy.mcleod@angusaustralia.com.au

Lily Christian, Member Services Officer

P: 02 5775 8710 · E: lily.christian@angusaustralia.com.au

Georgia Daley, Member Services Officer P: 02 6773 4623 · E: georgia.daley@angusaustralia.com.au

Sarah Scott, Member Services Officer

P: 02 6773 4611 · E: sarah.scott@angusaustralia.com.au

Kathryn Duddy, Company Secretary, Human Resources Manager and Assistant to the Ceo P: 02 6773 4614 · E: kathryn.duddy@angusaustralia.com.au M: 0447 332 202

Carole Johns, Accounts Officer P: 02 6773 4628 · E: carole.johns@angusaustralia.com.au

Susan Webeck, Accounts Officer P: 02 6773 4606 · E: sue@angusaustralia.com.au

Robyn Kelly, Administration Officer

P: 02 6773 4615 · E: robyn@angusaustralia.com.au

Christopher de Crespigny, Information Systems Manager P: 02 6773 4619 · E: christopher@angusaustralia.com.au

Ryan Birch, Computer Programmer E: ryan.birch@angusaustralia.com.au

Chris Hocking, Computer Programmer E: chris.hocking@angusaustralia.com.au

Dr Gerard Hammond, angus.tech Software Manager E: gerard.hammond@angusaustralia.com.au

Dale Curtis, Computer Programmer E: dale.curtis@angusaustralia.com.au

office@angusaustralia.com.au | (02) 6773 4600 | Angus Australia Locked Bag 11, Armidale NSW 2350 www.angusaustralia.com.au

BALDRIDGE BADGER

HOOVER NO DOUBT X BALDRIDGE ISABEL Y69

Introducing Baldridge Badger, a true out cross lineage bull we have been looking for and being used extensively at Schaff Angus Valley.

Sired by the renowned Hoover No Doubt and a son of the legendary dam Baldridge Isabel Y69 who is one of the top-ranking females in the Angus breed.

Badger is thick, wide based and powerful with superior foot quality, extensive eye appeal and is simply packed with meat and muscle. Phenotypically there is no holes in him and it would be hard to make a stronger specimen of a bull.

Net Worth style muscle with the right frame size with as good as feet quality as you will find. High growth, docility, solid milk, and good carcase make Badger the complete genetic package!

Ranked in top 5% in the Angus breed on Australian EBVs for 200, 400, 600 Day Weight, Carcase Weight, Docility, Claw Set, Foot Angle, Leg Angle and both Selection Indexes!

First progeny due at Killain Angus in Spring 2024!

50 Insured, Vaccinated, Performance, Semen and Genomics Tested Yearling Sale Bulls!

Semen and Embryos for sale! Bulls for Sale by Private Treaty!

Yearling Sale Bulls by

SAV America 8018, SAV Anthem 0042, SAV Bloodline 7578, SAV Scale House 0845, Ellingson Prolific, S Powerpoint WS 5503, Killain Rainman P1 and Killain Power Play S6!