Last week saw a fantastic result at the Ekka for the Hereford Breed. There were 71 entries with the quality of cattle a true highlight and another showcase of what our great breed can do. To top this off, Truro Sherlock was the Interbreed Champion bull. It has been a long time since a Hereford bull has taken out that prestigious award and something that is great for the breed as well as the exhibitors.
While at the Ekka I had opportunities to meet with a number of commercial companies to discuss what we are doing at Herefords Australia. Given our focus on Sustainability, carcase quality and driving productivity through the use of data and technology, we have many opportunities to progress. It will still be tough going however anything worthwhile is never easy. I feel that the door is open and we need to continue to push hard on the things we do well.
As I continue to update you on the carcase data progress, I now have 30,000 grassfed MSA carcase records and 4000 grain fed records. This data is helping have the data to explore the commercial opportunities. Back this up with the quality of cattle on display at events like the Ekka, achieving great results in national competitions like the Devon Court result in the Paddock to Palate competition, really help with the reputation of the breed.
This is translating into commercial bull buyers seeking out Hereford genetics. Bull sale season is in full swing and I have not attended as many sales as I would have liked, however where I have been able to attend, the feedback from commercial buyers has been very positive on the longevity of Hereford sires, performance of females, progeny and market specification compliance. We need to leverage those messages and you will see more commercial content in our publications like the upcoming Summer magazine, print media and social media channels.
When I was talking with the exhibitors at the Ekka, we all agreed that we need to work together as a membership to achieve our goals and I will continue to update you each month as we progress a range of initiatives to set us all up for success.
