Australian red meat businesses are moving to add value to their products and have consistent and high quality supplies, and Angus breeders are well positioned to benefit from this trend.
That was a key theme running through Angus National Conference presentations from major beef producers, exporters and retailers, which, Angus Australia chief executive Peter Parnell said, gave a sense of optimism.
Such a speakers to present to the 220 attendees of the sold-out event was Don Mackay, managing director of Rangers Valley (RV). He describes the business as not only a feedlot but a meat company, which only purchases 100 per cent Black Angus steers and Wagyu cross from specially selected suppliers.
“Nothing focuses your attention more than when you put your name on a piece of meat and give it to someone to eat,” Mr Mckay said.
And that focus is paying off – RV recently won a gold medal in the World Steak Competition in London with a Black Market branded Angus steak.
He said RV’s focus on quality and attention to detail stemmed back to its original reason of being – it was established to take beef from Australia to Japan.
Mr Mackay said RV now supplied high quality meat to about 20 countries. He said they could not even enter into discussions with clients until safety, traceability (each animal’s DNA is tested and recorded), animal and employee welfare criteria were met. As such, the 33,250 head capacity feedlot in the New England Tablelands, had to be up to scratch and visitor-ready all the time.
He said they’d engaged engineers and advisers to increase the capacity to 40,000 head with works to commence by the end of the year.
Mr Mackay said RV liked to work with suppliers and seed stock producers.
“If you hadn’t produced the genetics that made the material change to the cattle that come into our yard, then we wouldn’t be able to produce the type of cattle we do today, the meat quality and growth we’re seeing,” he said.
The Angus brand had also proved to be a winner for McDonalds Australia, according to its senior director of supply chain Tracey Monaghan. She said the global fast-food giant wanted to work with suppliers to tell positive stories about how cattle were raised. She said the Angus brand resonated with Australian customers and signified that MacDonalds had a more premium offering.
Director Pat McEntee said Woolworths Meat Company also had to change with its customers. He said its Butcher Shop initiative of the past 12 months allowed customers to get specially cut meat at some outlets, while maintaining case-ready, self-serve lines. Mr McEntee said they’d also introduced local meat brands in each state.
