Carcase competitions have played a pivotal role in improving the ability of producers to meet market specifications at Radfords in Warragul.
Robert Radford, owner of the Gippsland processing plant, said a change in the weight categories at the Royal Melbourne Show to better suit markets had enabled his abattoir to process and judge the domestic and heavy domestic categories for the competition for the first time this year.
Mr Radford said by dropping the weight categories by between 20 and 30 kilograms, the carcases better met what were “the norm” for market specifications in the industry.
“One of the biggest issues we had was a lot of the beasts being produced were too big and heavy for our domestic trade. We re-assessed the weight categories and for that reason we have become more interested,” he said.
“You have really got to meet the market, and that is why these carcase competitions are important, not just there to look at but to meet the market specifications and that market is changing all the time.
“You have got Vietnamese and Chinese markets coming in, and a lot of the butchers and the supermarkets are changing their specifications, so producers have got to change to go with the specs.
“I know it doesn’t happen overnight, it takes years to change breeding programs, but at least when they go to a carcase competition they can see the positives and the negatives of their breeding, so they can improve them.”
Mr Radford said his operation’s involvement with other competitions in the Gippsland area, such as the Lardner Park steer trial and the Pakenham Show, had resulted in better outcomes for the producers, Radfords, and their customers.
“We have been doing carcase competitions here for about 30 years, so we know what it is about and we know what feedback it has given to a lot of the producers around the Gippsland region,” he said.
“They have all been processed here over the decades and a lot of people have learnt a lot from them. They have changed their breeding because of it and they are getting better results as far as prices for their cattle – that is what it is all about.”
It was also crucial to ensure those competing in such competitions received appropriate financial returns for the cattle, Mr Radford said, to encourage involvement and foster good relationships and education for the next generation.
“We have wholesalers that operate out of here (Radfords), buying the carcases, and we want to make sure that we give all the producers at least market value,” he said.
“It is not a matter of taking advantage of the carcase competition, we want to encourage it, and grow it and get more people involved.
“You have all these kids from right around the country involved in these carcase competitions and I know locally here there has been a couple of schools involved in carcase competitions.
“They are our future cattleman so it is important we get them thinking in the right direction and looking at the changing markets and making sure they are getting everything right so when they do go to breed cattle they breed the right ones and get rewarded for it.”
