Get to know your beef

The Lardner Park Steer Trial annual carcass demonstration day was held last week.

Introduced in 2017 with great success, the demonstration day provides an opportunity to learn and engage on a multi-faceted level,

the paddock to plate scenario for beef of which public interest is rapidly growing in momentum.

Lardner Park chief executive officer Nicola Pero said they were “really enthused by the level of engagement with this year’s event attracting over 130 attendees, an increase of 55 per cent from last year”.

Industry leaders from MLA, JBS Australia, Coles, Agriculture Victoria, Alex Scott Stock Agents and Radford’s Abattoirs provided a series of presentations and demonstration with a focus on beef structure, weigh targets, fattening for export, changing markets both domestically and for export, dark cutting and magnesium/selenium deficiencies, butchering for primary and secondary quality and so much more.

Coles national livestock manager for beef Steve Rennie said Coles valued direct connection with the beef industry and the carcass demonstration day achieved exactly that.

“Everyone attending found the day highly informative and it was terrific to see the interest shown by so many breeders and producers through their questions and input.

“When everyone stays until the end to engage Irrigation Summer Crops in more discussion, it shows the success of the event and the industry’s desire for information and education,” he said.

This year’s event coincided with the final weighing and turn off, of the 2018 steer trial.

Lardner Park farm manager Anthony Willems said the steers had an overall weight gain of 1.4kg per day throughout the trial which was

an increase from the previous three years results.

He said November rainfall of over 130mm was beneficial in allowing the pasture quality to remain strong and plentiful.

The steers left the property on Monday bound for JBS Brooklyn and into the Coles QA Grass Fed Program. All carcasses were graded under the MSA grading scheme. Cows Calves and Heifers Business and budgets

Guest speakers at the Carcass Demonstration Day (from left) Andrew Chippenfield from Radfords Meats, Fiona Baker from Agriculture Victoria, Mark Inglis from JBS Australia, Robbie Radford from Radfords Meats, Laura Garland from Meat and Livestock Australia, Steve Rennie from Coles, Anthony Willems from Lardner Park and Neil Darby from Alex Scott and Staff.

Lardner Park farm manager Anthony Willems with the 2018 Steer Trial cattle after the final weighing.