A RECORD equalling 263 beef cattle studs representing 33 breeds will be involved in the 2014 Stock & Land Beef Week in south-east Australia from January 28 to February 5.
"The move to expand Beef Week from eight to nine days has not only attracted more entries but increases the opportunities for visitors to inspect cattle on more properties," Beef Week director Geoff Phillips said.
"The eastern Riverina day that ran from the Murray River north to Canberra has been split into two days with 30 studs in the northern half and 29 in the southern half.
"If we hadn't made the change, 59 studs would have been open on the one day which would have been detrimental for both exhibitors and visitors."
The first Stock & Land Beef Week in 1992 ran over four days with 50 studs and a handful of breeds involved.
"We also have a foundation sponsor, Merial, still involved while a brand new sponsor, Rivalea Stockfeeds, has joined the support group for 2014," Mr Phillips said.
"Other ongoing sponsors are Rural Finance and the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV)."
Starting on Tuesday, January 28, in the north east Riverina, beef cattle enthusiasts will follow the Beef Week trail for nine days concluding on Wednesday, February 5, when 38 studs will open their gates in south-west Victoria, the biggest day in Beef Week 2014.
The RASV Beef Week Heifer Challenge, with properties displaying a pen of 10 of their best registered 2012 born heifers, has attracted 60 entries with $4500 cash prize money for the winners.
As in the past Herefords and Angus studs make up over half the studs involved with 79 Whiteface studs and 59 Angus studs opening their gates. The Angus entry is the breed's largest since 2008.
Other breeds with strong representations are Limousin with 19 studs, Charolais with 15 and Murray Grey with 12, the largest entry from the Australian developed breed for over a decade.
Australian Lowline's seven studs is the breed's largest entry since 2006 while debutante breeds in Beef Week in 2014 include Ausline and Speckleline, both Lowline influenced.
White Galloways will also be on display for the first time.
Multi-stud displays at the Mt Gambier, SA, showgrounds (12 studs with 10 breeds on Day 9) and at Lardner Park in Gippsland (12 studs with six breeds on Day 5) allow smaller studs without the facilities and numbers to host an on-property display to be involved in Beef Week.
The success of Beef Week has attracted three major SA-based studs that are trucking displays of cattle to Mortlake where the two saleyards will host displays on Day 8.
"For over two decades Stock & Land Beef Week has been the premier event of its type in the nation and promotes the excellent seedstock herds in Australia's south-east," Mr Phillips said.
