The beef industry is in good hands if the group of young beef industry professionals who attended the recent GenAngus Future Leaders Program is the yardstick for measuring ongoing success.
After 18 months of delays, both the 2020 and 2021 cohorts of the GenAngus Future Leaders Program were finally able to attend, albeit via Zoom, the highly anticipated program, as they lay the foundations for their own business or further develop a business.
The program was designed to challenge the participants' business perceptions, increase their knowledge and confidence, and inspire them to put into practice the outcomes they gained from the event.
A total of 19 enthusiastic young producers from NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania were invited to participate.
Presentations were made by a range of industry professionals, covering topics such as branding, defining a business model, the latest virtual reality tools available to the industry, insurance and risk mitigation, finance fundamentals for young farmers, the ebbs and flows of the world protein market and in particular Australian beef, developing a breeding objective, social media to generate genuine engagement, the supply chains of animals in Australia, and the often-contentious dilemma of succession planning.
Angus Australia's president and board chairman Sam White, of Bald Blair Angus, Guyra, NSW, said youth were the future and for Angus Australia that had never been truer than at present. Programs like GenAngus meant the next generation was ready to lead.
"When you look at the program you are about to embark on, it is magnificent, with the speakers and topics that will contribute to your learning experience, it is more than likely that at some point in your life you will connect with some of these people," Mr White said.
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Mr White also had some sage advice for each participant.
"Every experience that you guys are going to have will add to you as a person," he said.
"I look forward to seeing the names from this program on the board in the next decade or two.
"Gain as much experience as you can, and the board awaits the enthusiasm that comes with youth."
Angus Australia breed development officer and GenAngus organiser Jake Phillips could not have been happier with the outcomes from the event and the enthusiasm shown by the attendees.
"The GenAngus program is now a centrepiece in the offering of scholarships, awards, and bursaries Angus Australia is able to provide with support from the Angus Foundation," he said.
"It is clear with the level of interest and the quality of candidates who applied for the program just how well it is regarded in the beef industry.
"The opportunity to spend time with and be treated to the knowledge from some of Australia's most well respected and influential agribusiness professionals has been mind-blowing for the attendees over the three days.
"This program has to be something Angus Australia and everyone involved can be immensely proud of. It is tangibly changing young leaders' thought processes and encouraging practice change and leadership."
Gain as much experience as you can, and the board awaits the enthusiasm that comes with youth.
- Sam White, Angus Australia president
Newcomer to Angus
Fourth-generation farmer Jamie Pepper, Tahara, western Victoria, is a newcomer to the Angus breed, purchasing his first heifers in 2020.
He found all the GenAngus topics to be truly relevant, saying the "ask, listen, share" rhetoric that came in the ag communicators session to be the most fascinating.
"Following Matt Reynolds' (Angus Australia) presentation, I am going to work really hard on setting a breeding objective and after listening to Francis English (Rabobank), I'll be getting across the financial aspects quite quickly to ensure I can run a successful business," he said.
Jamie runs a herd of 28 breeders on the family's 1200 hectare property near Hamilton.
The Peppers run a mixed beef and sheep business.
Their enterprises include a spring calving Angus herd, an autumn calving Hereford herd, a prime lamb operation, Merino ewes and wethers, and a Poll Dorset stud.
"The Angus herd is our newest enterprise and we purchased our first 19 PTIC heifers last May from a dispersal sale in NSW," Jamie said.
"The heifers we purchased are predominately Te Mania and Rennylea genetics.
"Through the use of artificial insemination we have used semen from Millah Murrah (Klooney K42) and Landfall (Keystone K132) and we bought a back-up bull from Banquet (Political P576)."
Jamie decided to become involved with Angus cattle after admiring the breed for some time.
"I have long thought that there is a lot to like about the breed," he said.
"At the same time I was also keen to try spring calving as opposed to autumn calving, so I thought why not try spring calving with a new breed.
"My dad loves Hereford cattle so we have been able to slowly grow and nurture our Angus herd without compromising the quality and quantity of the Hereford herd.
"I was attracted to the Angus breed because of their quiet nature, milking and maternal qualities, marketability and ease of access to extraordinary genetics.
"I was also attracted to the breed because of the proactive and positive nature of Angus Australia."
