Beef

Australia’s oldest organic beef company – OBE Organic – is putting sustainability in the spotlight ahead of World Environment Day this coming Sunday, June 5 with the release of a new report that details industry-leading practices in sustainable agriculture, supply chain management and human resources.

Beef Week celebrates 40 years this week. Come along to your favourite events, and if you’ve never been before, here are four reasons to go in celebration of every decade of the Casino event: 1. Free steak 2. Brenda in the moke 3. Men in undies 4. Cows ... lots of cows.

The early supply chain disruptions of 2022, including COVID-19 and floods, have not impacted the continued growth and strength of Australia’s feedlot sector, according to the recent results of the ALFA and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) survey.

Nicoli Barnes, UTas. It has been suggested that biochar improves animal health and liveweight gain. It has also been suggested that biochar reduces enteric methane and, by increasing carbon content in the manure, may improve soil carbon over time. Together these effects would theoretically reduce whole farm emissions. In an MLA-funded research programme, we are testing this theory using in a farm experiment near Deloraine, Tasmania.

“National parks should not be purchased unless there are funds to fully fence and maintain the park. They are the worst neighbours one could wish for with little to no weed control, no fences, nobody living on the property, little fire-fighting capability, and a propensity to shoot cattle" : Sally Witherspoon, Cape York cattle farmer.

Jo and Don Hearn from Restdown Winery and Jungle Lane Beef Co and their business were recently recognised as part of Tourism Australia’s new international marketing campaign on sustainable tourism, and Tourism NSW has also included them in the top 10 things to do along the Murray River, alongside the iconic Mungo National Park.

The author has set himself an enormous task to survey in depth the history of the Surrey Hills district of north-west Tasmania. Fires, Farms and Forests represents the culmination of much detailed and careful research, combined with the author’s extensive personal experience as a forester, and, in particular, his role managing the native grasslands and buttongrass moorlands on Surrey Hills. All this enables the author to weave a story which encompasses both general history as well as specialist insights into the management of land and forests.

Cases of Bovine Ephemeral Fever, also known as three-day sickness, are being seen in cattle on the NSW North Coast. The disease has been confirmed via laboratory testing in a herd within the Kyogle shire, and there have also been reports of clinical signs of the disease in the Tweed and Brunswick shires. It is expected that the disease will move south as the season progresses.

Trevor Whittington. Last week the Minister asked in the Farm Weekly, what more could they have done to consult with industry on the outbreak of BJD. For WAFarmers and the Minister to end up exchanging letters in the Farm Weekly it is a clear sign of a breakdown in communications between industry and the Department.

The possibility of bare barbecues on Australia Day should be an alarm bell to all sides of politics, NSW Farmers says, with the major retailer supply chains continuing to struggle. NSW Farmers President James Jackson said ongoing failures to prevent anti-competitive behaviour had led us to a handful of companies controlling most of our meat supply, and called on the Federal Government to address the issue.

The National Farmers Federation is celebrating the environmental credentials of Queensland beef producers ... The 2019 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report shows growth of forest area of about 160,000 hectares since 2008. Australia’s latest State of the Forests Report also confirms steady forest growth during the previous five-year period.

Billionaire Gina Rinehart is nearing the end of a $300 million sell-down of cattle properties across northern Australia, after selling the Willeroo and Aroona stations for over $60 million.

The 39th annual Greenham Trade and Export Cattle (hoof and hook) competition saw a yarding of 75 entries with a quality field of 48 yearling steers and heifers, and 27 heavy prime beef steers, entries being accepted in pens of three. Each year this competition hosts the best line-up of 100% grass finished cattle in Australia.

ASX-listed Rural Funds Group (RFF) has added to its Fitzroy River Basin holdings, picking up the 27,879-hectare Kaiuroo cattle and cropping property aggregation in Central Queensland’s Mackenzie River district for nearly $69 million, well above the expectation price of $55 million.

If you, like Kookaburra, have antecedents who hailed from the sheep and cattle country of the Yorkshire dales, you might well be interested in this fascinating website - Swaledale history. The website is put together by the appropriately named Will Swales.