YOUNG cattle breeders with the potential to shape the beef industry into the future took part in a Herefords Australia Young Guns Conference in southern NSW last week.
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The conference was held at Cootamundra on January 20-21 and drew 28 delegates aged 19-41 from five states.
Conference co-ordinator Geoff Bush, of Cootamundra, said the concept had been initiated by Herefords Australia in the 1990s.
Mr Bush said the conference was essentially about networking and learning, and gave junior members a pathway into senior roles.
Conference delegates toured the Manildra Meat Company’s processing plant at Cootamundra and the Teys Australia Jindalee Feedlot at Stockinbingal on day one.
Day two involved conference sessions with leading industry speakers on a range of topics including weaning acclimation, red meat processing, BREEDPLAN and Hereford True.
Commercial steer trader Chris Main, of Cootamundra, attended the conference to learn more about the red meat supply chain.
Mr Main, 41, finishes Hereford trade cattle on native pastures and uses an Angus bull over Hereford cows to produce a Black Baldy.
He is interested in learning more about supplying to the branded beef program, Hereford True.
“I’ve always been keen on the Herefords for their doability, temperament and weight gain,’’ Mr Main said. “I only got into the Black Baldy program recently after looking at the benchmarking data - they are the most profitable breeding enterprise for this area.
With the focus on grass fed beef, Herefords seem to be well placed. Angus has been so dominant in the retail space it is becoming a homogenised brand.
Hereford could be a good point of difference, a bit more of a premium product.’’
Verity Price, 19, of Wagga Wagga, NSW, saw the conference as an opportunity to connect with like-minded people in a similar age bracket.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for young people to share ideas, hope, wish and dream about the future in beef,’’ Miss Price said.
During the visit to the Manildra Meat Company, Miss Price was interested in the comparison between the fat colour and muscle definition in grass and grain fed beef carcasses.
“The future for Herefords lies mainly on creating self-sustaining beef industry in the domestic market,’’ she said.
“It will be interesting over the next couple of years with the predicted fall in our sales as we don’t have the females to maintain the current domestic and export markets.
The demand for Herefords will increase as northern properties don’t have the females to replenish their stock. It is a very exciting time for Herefords and all British breeds.’’
Central NSW Hereford breeder and past Hereford Youth chairman Kate Morris, Bathurst, attended the conference to network and share new experiences.
“We’ve got to drum it into the youth that getting involved in these activities - no matter what breed you’re in - is about making new contacts, gaining knowledge and experience,’’ Miss Morris said.
“Serving at executive level gave me the skills to run shows, meetings and telephone conferences.
“It also gave me the communication skills needed in everyday life.
“The breed is definitely booming: that is seen throughout the markets at the moment and we will see Herefords be the number one beef in the future.’’
