25Jun 2020 by Matric Support

Australian Beef Report 2020

Articles & Publications, Industry Publications
The Australian Beef Report shows you the financial and production performance of family owned beef businesses in Australia. It has been written for profit focussed producers, industry service professionals and other industry stakeholders who would like to better understand, and improve, beef business performance in Australia at the production level. This report follows the successful release of the first edition in 2017 Read more
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19Jun 2020 by Stephen Dummett
Beef land versus gold: Which is the better investment?

Beef land versus gold: Which is the better investment?

Articles & Publications, Opinion Pieces
By Ian McLean Comparison of price of gold and rural land in Australian dollars (real) It would appear to us that agricultural land has some key characteristics in common with gold. The main ones being; It is a finite resource and is valuable, primarily, as a result of scarcity.Typically, both have very low yields (zero or less in the case of gold). The first of these characteristics, combined with an uncertain global economic outlook, has contributed to an increase in the prices paid for agricultural land in Australia. This has been a double-edged sword; the upside is that it has increased the wealth of those who own land; the downside is that, with no corresponding increase in profits, it reduces the returns on capital. Analysis of historical data indicates that…
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15Jun 2020 by Stephen Dummett
Beef productivity gains to go to bottom line

Beef productivity gains to go to bottom line

Articles & Publications, Opinion Pieces
A new playing field in the beef game where returns for cattle are matching or beating increases in costs is opening the door for solid profitability boosts where productivity can be improved. Those able to make prudent and ongoing investments in productivity will capitalise most on the new dynamics. This is a major takeaway from one of the cattle industry's key pieces of analysis, The Australian Beef Report: 2020 Vision, due to be released this month. An independent assessment of the financial and production performance of family-owned beef businesses in Australia collated by long-serving consultants Phil Holmes and Ian McLean, the 2020 report follows the first version released three years ago. The initial version touched on the fact that declining terms of trade in agriculture, known as the cost-price squeeze,…
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18Mar 2020 by Ian Mclean
Does genetic progress have to slow during the rebuilding phase?

Does genetic progress have to slow during the rebuilding phase?

Articles & Publications, Opinion Pieces
Michael Wellington and Karissa de Belle, Bush AgriBusiness Pty Ltd. With the current lack of stock across the country, many herd or flock managers will not have the luxury of culling that they normally would. This raises the question of how genetic progress is affected by, and should be managed in, different seasonal conditions. We have heard from some producers and advisors that genetic progress will slow during commercial herd/flock rebuilds. However, we are not entirely convinced that this is necessarily the case.  In the equation for genetic progress (see footnote 1), selection intensity (i) is affected by selection itself (how different are the new sires and breeders coming into the breeding herd from the current herd average?) and culling (how different is the herd average after culling, from the…
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18Mar 2020 by Ian Mclean
Considering Goats

Considering Goats

Articles & Publications, Opinion Pieces
Karissa de Belle and Ian McLean, Bush AgriBusiness Pty Ltd Low conventional stock numbers, the current price of goats, along with their hardiness and fertility is causing many producers in rangeland areas to give them serious consideration as a potential enterprise. It will be an attractive option for many, however any enterprise choice requires careful consideration. The first consideration with goats is what sort of enterprise they will be. Will they be a managed flock1, wild harvested or somewhere in between, i.e. wild harvest with smaller ones put behind wire to grow out to killable weight. If it is simply an opportunistic harvest and immediate sale of wild roaming goats, then it is pretty straightforward, provided you have some basic infrastructure. If they are there, can be mustered, trucked and…
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