CEO Update

As you are all hopefully aware Herefords Australia is part way through the process of changing registry software. The change to Helical is to provide a more modern, efficient and intuitive platform that can continue to evolve as technology and the needs of members change.

As of today, you will no longer be able to submit data directly into Hereford Live yourself. If you have any registrations or other data that you would like to have processed over the next three weeks, please email to registrar@herefordsaustralia.com.au or send it directly to the Herefords Australia office.

The team have been very busy over recent weeks testing as many different aspects of the Helical system as we can to ensure that the transition to the new system is as seamless as possible. The Helical staff have been great to work with and the feedback from those who have seen the new layout so far has been very positive.

We are planning to go live with the new system by 19 October, so please keep an eye out for updates over the next couple of weeks and join to listen to the webinar on 15 October for more information.

You may have also noticed a new voice over the phone recently with Cass Herps having joined the Member Services team to help with the additional workload that we have had in recent months. Cass comes to us with plenty of relevant experience including 5 years at a livestock agency as well as time in the transport industry.

After four years as part of the Herefords Australia team Steph Archibald has finished up as Accounts and Office Manager. Steph has been an important part of the team and will be greatly missed. I would like to personally thank Steph for all of her hard work, support and friendship over the last few years and wish her every success in her new role.

With Steph having finished up we now welcome Nicole Williams who will join the team over coming weeks. Nicole has a long history of project management and business administration including the delivery of genetic evaluation services. She has spent close to 20 years at MLA, most recently as the Sheep Genetics Operations Manager.

If you have been keeping an eye on the rural press over the last couple of months you have probably noticed the topic of multibreed BREEDPLAN or multibreed beef genetic evaluations having come up a number of times. As with all new developments there are potential benefits and risks.

Multi-breed EBVs would allow commercial bull buyers to select the most suitable bulls to use in their herds irrespective of breed. However, it would also allow Hereford breeders to directly benchmark their cattle against animals of other breeds.

Importantly breeders would still retain the ability to compare their own animals within the Hereford breed at equal or better accuracy values.

The risk for us is that we do not yet know what the delivery model is and how Herefords Australia can engage with a new system that continues to deliver value to our members.

We have taken the approach of committing to be part of the research and development of multi-breed genetic evaluations to ensure that we have a seat at the table to ensure that the delivery model that is developed represents the best interests of Hereford breeders as well as the broader industry.

If there is anything that you would like to discuss in more detail, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Kind regards,

Hamish Chandler