Northern Breeding Business (NB2) producer group activities - September 2022 update

 

• Kimberley/Pilbara Group
• Indigenous/Animal Health Australia Group
• Burdekin Group
• Fitzroy Group
• Pastoral Company Group
• Cloncurry Group

Kimberley/Pilbara Group

Participants in the WA NB2 groups have been very busy completing their foundational data templates and mustering in what has generally been a good season.

First muster on Yarrie Station

Yarding up on Nerrima Station

Contact: Rebecca Butcher, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
E: rebecca.Butcher@dpird.wa.gov.au
T: 08 9651 0540
M: 0438 200 677

Indigenous/Animal Health Australia Group

The Indigenous NB2 group has conducted three residential workshops and a training workshop during 2021 and 2022. Herd and financial data on four properties has been collected and is in the process of being analysed and summarised. Development of immersive technology tools continues with the development of a biosecurity virtual property tour training tool. Mentoring is continuing with engagement by Max Gorringe and Ian Perkins on a number of the properties involved with the project.

An EDGE Grazing Fundamentals training workshop was conducted at Chillagoe with a field trip to Bulimba Station. Spreadsheet training was conducted while the group were on Bulimba. The biosecurity virtual tour training tool was presented and discussed by the group and future activities were planned and discussed. The workshop was attended by personnel from Bulimba near Chillagoe and the Mithaka group from Windorah.

The EDGE Grazing Fundamentals workshop was presented by Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF) personnel Megan Willis and Alex Thomson and was received well by the participants.

EDGE Grazing Fundamentals training in Chillagoe – August 2022.

Keerah Steele from Gulf Savannah Natural Resource Management spoke about climate analysis and access to up to date climate information.

A field trip to Bulimba Station continued the EDGE Grazing Fundamentals course with paddock assessment and pasture identification including:

• assessing land condition
• estimating pasture yield
• calculating a forage budget.

Emily Crowe from QDAF presented a session on spreadsheet use and introduced the participants to herd projection and budget development using spreadsheet tools.

Spreadsheet training on Bulimba Station

A residential workshop will be conducted in November 2022. The workshop will include presentations and discussions on the following topics:

• results of property data analysis
• virtual reality tools
• educational and career pathways
• business management
• spreadsheet use
• livestock productivity
• engagement with the Tropical North Queensland Drought Hub
• expansion of the group.

Contact: Ian Perkins, LPM QLD
E: ian@lpmqld.com.au
T: 07 4686 1198
M: 0408 059 377

Burdekin Group

On the 5 June, 16 members of the Burdekin group gathered in Clermont.

Burdekin group members

The host business envisaged a meeting of technology ‘from paddock to plate’.  Alastair Rayner (Beef Central genetics columnist and CIBO Labs National Extension and Adoption Manager) was in the area and spent the day with the group. He swapped hats during the day, with topics covered including:

• MLA/CIBO Labs National Feedbase Monitoring project
• CIBO’s Pasture Key Satellite service
• using breeding objectives, Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and structure to aid in ranking bulls in sale catalogues to meet individual business needs.

A property visit enabled some comparison of satellite pasture yields to on-ground pasture assessments, followed by structural assessment of cattle with EBV data available and collection of electronic data crush-side.

Local Wagyu producer Darren Hamblin demonstrated how far he has taken technology to identify his lead genetics for two key drivers of profit in Wagyu production. The Angus family treated everyone to a tour of their new abattoir west of Moranbah. The group heard about their vertically integrated beef business extending from breeder country in the Gulf, backgrounding and feedlotting in Central Queensland, then selling branded beef to high-end butchers and restaurants in Australia and overseas.

Visiting the Angus family abattoir, Signature Beef near Moranbah

Everyone indicated they enjoyed the content and mix of theory and practical sessions, as well as the networking. They are keen to explore more of what other businesses within the group are doing and to review some of the material which has been covered.

The fast-track business has had its three years of historical data analysed while the rest of the group are finalising their 2022 templates.

Contact: Roxanne Morgan, QDAF
E: roxanne.morgan@daf.qld.gov.au
T: 07 4999 8555
M: 0436 826 211  

Fitzroy Group

The Fitzroy NB2 group recently participated in a two-day Breedcow & Dynama workshop held in Rockhampton on the 19–20 July. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Agricultural Economist’s and Beef Extension Officers were fortunate enough to work with Fred Chudleigh, a retired DAF Agricultural Economist. Fred was able to share his tremendous knowledge of economics and Breedcow & Dynama with the producers and DAF staff in attendance. Fred can portray the economics in a factual and relatable manner.

The workshop was kicked off by a presentation from Dr Maree Bowen about Improving profitability and resilience of grazing businesses in Queensland.  Maree spoke about the six regional reports where economic analyses were conducted to assess the viability of certain strategies and technologies relevant to specific natural resource management regions. This was a great steppingstone into the remainder of the workshop.

Over the two days the producers developed a breeder herd model for their property that allows consideration of alternative culling ages for heifers and cows plus alternative sale ages for steers. They developed a steer growing enterprise for their property that allows comparison of its expected relative profit and risk to the breeder herd model. Producers also identified a long-term production target for their property and developed an investment analysis for a transition from their current production system to an alternative production system over the next decade. 

Fitzroy group at the Breedcow & Dynama workshop in Rockhampton

Throughout the workshop there was multiple opportunities for discussion about how certain changes to the overall herd model would have to the business from not only a financial point of view, but a management and a drought preparedness standpoint. This workshop also covered off several topics from the Large-Scale Extensive Grazing Operation Self-Assessment Checklist (Part of the Queensland Drought Assistance program). The topics covered included our livestock operation, our business, caring for our land and our animals.

Overall, attendees left the workshop with skills to conduct their own economic analysis of management strategies and subsequent businesses bottom-line implications. Many thanks to Fred for taking the time to travel to Rockhampton and assist the staff and producers involved. The opportunity to work with someone as knowledgeable as Fred has been extremely beneficial. Ongoing one-on-one follow up support will be provided to the producers to fine tune their herd models when required.

Contact: Matt Brown, QDAF
E: matt.brown@daf.qld.gov.au
T: 07 4843 2611
M: 0428 104 248

Pastoral Company Group

The Pastoral Company NB2 group met in Camooweal on May 24–25. The main purpose of this meeting was to present and discuss the 2021 calendar year business analysis of each business.

There was good discussion on the long term financial and production performance of the group and individual businesses, and what the drivers underpinning that were. Each business gave an overview of their business, it’s performance, strengths and areas for improvement, which led to good group discussion.

David Sackett of Growth Farms came along to the meeting to detail his experience in managing corporate scale agricultural businesses in southern Australia in a presentation titled ‘Management in corporate ag – finding, aligning and keeping good people’. This was well received by the group and generated a lot of questions and discussion.

Iffley Station

(Source: mdh.net.au/iffley.html)

The Pastoral Company NB2 group had an on-property meeting on the 23–25 August that was jointly hosted by Iffley & Canobie. The primary purpose of the meeting was for the group to continue sharing learnings and build their understanding of the host businesses. This included having a deeper look at the Iffley & Canobie historical business performance, the businesses presenting a business overview of current challenges and opportunities, as well as a property tour of each station. This provided an opportunity for the host businesses to ask questions of the group and receive objective feedback from other group members’ perspective.

There was a good session delivered by a guest speaker on building high performing teams, which was well-received by the group and encouraged good discussion. All members present provided a year-to-date business update. There was good discussion on the utilisation of crush-side data by the businesses and the setting of breeding herd productivity KPI targets for each business. The group is motivated to carry out follow up actions on all of these items.

Contact: Ian McLean, Bush Agribusiness
E: ian@babusiness.com.au
M: 0401 118 191

Cloncurry Group

The Cloncurry group stretching north to the Gulf is comprised of six businesses managing around 45,000 breeding females. The group coordinator is Megan Munchenberg of Gregory Downs Station.  The group is busy completing their herd, financial and feedbase data templates with another meeting planned for mid-September.  The group will be completing their feedbase, foundational training on Lorraine Station during October with Dionne Walsh, the feedbase pillar leader.

Contact: Trevor Smith, North Australian Veterinary Group

E: tsmith@navg.com.au
M: 0428 199 150